1F#4 James Robert Vernon's parents were 1F#8 Joseph Vernon and 1F#9 Martha Jane Branegan.

On his death certificate, Joseph's birth date was given as 7 October, 1847. According to the 1900 U.S. census (V80, E.D. 37, page 13 for Hocking County, line 15) Joseph's birth period was noted -- presumably given by either Joseph himself, or his spouse Martha Jane -- as November, 1843, him being 56 years old at the time. On his marriage license, issued in Harrison County, West Virginia on 16 April, 1872, his age is given as 22 years old -- implying he was born in 1850.

Joseph was born in Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia, right on the Virginia-North Carolina border. His father, James Earl, was a North Carolinian; his mother, Dora Elizabeth Hardy, a Virginian.

Whether he took it up in Carroll County, or not until the family moved to Harrison County around the time of the Civil War, Joseph earned a living as a coal miner by age 21. On 16 April, 1872 Joseph was married to Martha Jane Branegan, the ceremony performed by E. C. Wayman in Harrison County, where half of their fifteen children had been born.

By the 1900 census, he had moved on to the coalfields in Hocking and Perry Counties in Ohio, following some of his brothers. They settled around the new coal settlements of New Straitsville and Murray City on the Perry-Hocking County border. Joseph lived in Sand Run near No. 1 and No. 2 mines in Jobs, operated by the Sunday Creek Company of Columbus. These mines were part of the Pittsburgh coal shelf, vein no. 6, with an averaged six-foot thickness. They were drift mines with a daily capacity of 1,500 tons production. Or he might have worked Carbon Coal Company's No. 1 mine at Sand Run, off of vein no. 6. It was a drift mine with a thickness of from four to six feet producing 200 tons of coal a day. Joe probably also worked the drift mines of the Stalter Coal Company down at Carbon Hill, in no. 6 vein, a machine mine of six to seven feet thickness with a daily capacity of 400 tons. While the mines mostly no longer produce, the families of some of their grandchildren still live there at the writing of this book.

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"The New Straitsville coal seam is better known as the Great Coal Vein, or Middle or Upper Kittaning. This seam is also mined at Shawnee, a little north of New Straitsville, as well as Congo and Baird Furnace. In this general area, the seam is from ten to fourteen feet thick. The seam thins out to about four feet...

In many places, about fifty feet above the Great Vein is found the tracing of a seam known as the Lower Freeport, known in Perry County as Norris Coal. It can reach a thickness of six feet, but is usually much smaller.

Perry County was established around 1817 from parts of Muskingum, Fairfield, Washington, Hocking, and later, Licking Counties.

Coal Township, one of the local political subdivisions, evolved around the mining industry of the Great Hocking coalfields. The first deed for land in what was to become New Straitsville was sold on 1 April 1835. The first parcel for mining was purchased for $15,000 on 30 December, 1869 and sold to the Straitsville Mining Company, opening the first mine called the Old Bank mine. New Straitsville was marked out 19 July, 1870. The same year the Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad was built from Columbus to Athens, and eventually over 300 cars of coal were loaded daily. The town prospered from 1888 to a population of over 3,000 in 1907." (From A History of Perry County")

"Properties of Central Ohio Coal & Iron Company lie in Salty Lick and Monday Creek Townships in Perry County, and in Ward and Falls Townships in Hocking County. They amount to about 5,000 acres and a few additional purchases contemplated. The lands are generally elevated and lie upon the sources of the Monday Creek and of the Snow Fork of the Monday Creek...

The lands are cut by narrow ravines which run into the bottom on Monday Creek, and for that reason are acceptable from that level." (Excerpted from a report of Professor W. W. Mather given to the Central Ohio Coal & iron Company, including analysis of the coals and iron ore from company lands by A. A. Hayes-Hosford & Company, New York, 1856, 24 pages.)

"[These lands]...contain the thick coal vein known as the Straitsville Seam, adjoining and near the village of New Straitsville in Perry County. The lands of this company embrace an area of about 5,000 acres of which 3,000 acres are underlaid by the Straitsville Seam having a thickness at no point where examined of less than six feet, and generally eight, nine and nine and a half feet of workable coal. 3,000 acres may be counted on as available merchantable coal, and allowing for waste and slack, may be relied on to furnish 10,000 tons per acre, or 30,000 tons, or 750,000,000 bushels...", the report goes on.

"The inhabitants were English, Irish, Scots, Welsh and also of American descent. The miners were paid once a month, and the company store took most of it. After the company store made their deductions, the take home pay was scanty. To earn this wage a miner picked coal out of a seam, then shoveled it into mine cars or wheelbarrows. For his work for November, 1888, for the Raccoon Coal Company, one miner showed he mined 51 tons of coal at 70 cents a ton, for a total of $35.70. that month. He owed the company store $24. His rent was four dollars for his company-owned house, and a two dollar cash advance from the company, plus seventy-one cents for 'smithing' charges to get his tools repaired, or a mule shod. This left him with $4.74 cash after a month of mining 51 tons of coal.

Working men and boys, long hours for low pay until dissatisfaction and uprisings brought about the Progressive Union and the Knights of Labor unions, meeting in secret to discuss conditions.

At a place called Robinson's Cave back of Main Street, the United Mine Workers (Union) is said to have gotten its start. On 13 October, 1884, while a large political rally was going on, a group of men who were against the union agitation decided if they were not to work by the majority say, then no one would. They ignited cars soaked with oil, and sent them into several mines. It wasn't until several days later that the mines were found to be on fire and couldn't be controlled. Eventually, the coal bank fires would involve 241 square miles of valuable coalfields. The fire was finally isolated by engineering a clay firewall through a series of drilled holes filled with inert clay. Entrances were sealed, and a fire barrier was formed. The fire destroyed an estimated fifty million dollars of Kittanning coal by 1939." (A History of Perry County)

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Joseph died 13 February, 1917 at age 69 years, four months and six days. According to Health Officer A. P. Lee of Murray City, cause of death "In all probability T.B.C. from history..." Joseph was interred in lot #39, section #8 at Greenlawn Cemetery, Nelsonville, Ohio in Athens County. The lot was purchased by a C. J. Bumgardner, according to cemetery superintendent Roger McCullach in a letter to this author dated 22 November, 1989. Joseph's birth date is given in the cemetery records book as 7 October, 1847. At this writing, he has no headstone.

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1F#9 Martha Jane Vernon's surname, as given on a copy of her marriage certificate from Harrison County, West Virginia, is Branegan, dau of John and Jane Branegan. The certificate says she "was born in Fayette County, WV." Her death certificate issue from Hocking County, Ohio says she was born in "Penn.," dau of William Frantz of Steubenville, Ohio, and Mary Sweetly, also of Steubenville. It gives her birth date as 14 March, 1845. Martha lived to be 78 years, 10 months and 18 days at her death on 2 February, 1926 from angina pectoris complicated by influenza. One senses that she was a tough and rugged lady, surely what the early American pioneer woman was made of. Martha Jane was laid to rest in lot #35, section #10 in Greenlawn Cemetery in Nelsonville, a 20 x 20 foot lot she paid $72.00 for on 30 June, 1920. At this writing she has no headstone, although her children Rosella Lonberger, Anna May Hurd and Earl Vernon have. Martha Jane and Joseph had fifteen children. The twelve this author has documented are:

1F#8.1 John S. Vernon- b 1871, possibly m 21 November, 1896 to Rachel A. Wheeler- b 8 June, 1879, d 25 April, 1965; probably had issue.

1F#8.2 James Robert Vernon- b 12 May, 1873, d 2 April, 1963, m 24 May, 1897 to Effie Drucilla Dudley- b 16 February, 1878, d 17 October, 1940; six children.

1F#8.3 Joseph W. Vernon- b 1877, died young.

1F#8.4 William Isaac Vernon- b 8 July, 1878, d 2 December, 1945, interred Moundsville Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Ohio; m 26 December, 1901 in Belmont, West Virginia to Elsie Ethel Tice- b 21 April, 1887 at Parkersburg, Woods County, West Virginia, dau of George Tice and Ida Florence Daily, d 10 July, 1974, interred at Moundview Cemetery; fourteen children: 1F#8.4.1 Ethel Bernice Vernon- b 11 September, 1902, d 1 August 1903; 1F#8.4.2 William Arthur Vernon- b 16 January, 1904 in Consol, Ohio, d 31 October, 1974, m 4 September, 1930 to Evelyn Wilson; 1F#8.4.3 Esther Alice Vernon- b 16 August, 1905 in Jobs, Ohio, m 24 February, 1923 to Herbert Wiseman; 1F#8.4.4 James Donald Vernon- b 6 May, 1907 in Murray City, Ohio, d 11 April, 1986, m to May Jackson; BBB 1F#8.4.5 Edna May Vernon- b 23 November, 1908 at Newtown, Ohio, m 30 August, 1938 to James E. Wonders; 1F#8.4.6 Beatrice Marjorie Vernon- b 23 May, 1910 at Murray City, m 4 September, 1930 to Glenn Price- b 15 December, 1913. They were said to have had at least two children; 1F#8.4.7 Ernest Edward Vernon- b 26 October, 1911 at Murray City, m 27 January, 1945 to Lucile Black- b 2 September, 1926, dau of Arthur Lewis Black and Essa McClelland; two children: 1F#8.4.7.1 Karen Lou Vernon- b 15 May, 1945, m 6 December, 1963 to Paul Seavolt- b 10 March, 1944; four children: 1F#8.4.7.1.1 Kimberly Sue Seavolt- b 10 July, 1964; 1F#8.4.7.1.2 Jodi Kay Seavolt- b 11 December, 1966; 1F#4.7.1.3 Tracey Paulette Seavolt- b 5 January, 1970; 1F#8.4.7.1.4 Robert Eugene Seavolt- b 6 September, 1971. 1F#8.4.7.2 Neil Lawrence Vernon- b 30 March, 1948, m 13 March, 1970 to Shirley Hoey- b 3 July, 1948; four children: 1F#8.4.7.2.1 Brett Edward Vernon- b 15 January, 1970; 1F#8.4.7.2.2 Penny Marie Vernon- b 28 July, 1971; 1F#8.4.7.2.3 Bart Elmer Vernon- b 22 September, 1974; 1F#8.4.7.2.4 Carmen Cathleen Vernon- b 5 December, 1975; 1F#8.4.8 Ralph Owen Vernon- b 5 July, 1913 at Murray City, d 2 March, 1919; 1F#8.4.9 Elmer Edwin Vernon- b 1 April, 1915, d 24 July, 1982, m to Joyce Parker; 1F#8.4.10 Eliza Lea Vernon- b 30 December, 1916; 1F#8.4.11 Orvil Vernon- b 23 November, 1917 at Murray City, d stillborn at 2:00 A.M., interred 29 November, 1917 at Greenlawn Cemetery, Nelsonville, Ohio; 1F#8.4.12 Ruth Catherine Vernon- b 10 February, 1919, m Mr. Winland; 1F#8.4.13 George Clemens Vernon- b 7 November, 1920 at Murray City, d 18 October, 1921; 1F#8.4.14 Robert Earl Vernon- b 20 January, 1923, m 7 February, 1944 to Lucile Black. 1F#8.5 Anna May Vernon- b 29 May, 1880 d 1959, m 12 September, 1901 to James F. Hurd- b 23 December, 1872 in Athens County, Ohio, son of Joshua Hurd and Nancy Parich, d 1946; four children: 1F#8.5.1 Pearl Hurd. Pearl, it was said, married a Mr. Malony; 1F#8.5.2 Etta Hurd- b 1915, d 1989, m 1.) to Mr. Whitlatch; son 1F#8.5.2.1 Jack Whitlatch- m to Carol; four children, one grandchild; 1F#8.5.3 James Hurd; 1F#8.5.4 Earl Hurd.

1F#8.6 Charles Vernon- b 8 August, 1883 in Harrison County, West Virginia, m 3 June, 1905 in Hocking County, Ohio to Florence May Tippie- b 26 July, 1887, dau of Frank Tippie and Harriet Panik.

1F#8.7 Joseph Vernon, Jr.- b February 1887 in Harrison County, West Virginia. Joseph was said to have been a rebel of sorts. Some in the family said he always seemed to have sums of money, was regarded with some trepidation. He "matched up" with Rose McManaway in Knox County, Ohio somewhere near Mt. Vernon. He wound up in Moundsville Penitentiary in West Virginia "for 20 years and a day," the extra day allegedly to prevent parole -- some said because he killed a "railroad dick". Allegedly, Rose was waiting for him when he was released. Joseph is said to be interred in an unmarked grave in Greenlawn Cemetery beside his sister, Rosella Lonberger. Issue is uncertain.

1F#8.8 Rosa Ella (Rosella) Vernon- b 17 September, 1892 at Sand Run, Hocking County, Ohio, d in middle age, interred in Greenlawn Cemetery, Nelsonville, in mother Martha Jane Vernon's lot #35, section #10, next to her husband John and brother Joseph, m to John W. Lonberger- b 28 September, 1886, son of Joseph Lonberger and Lena Butts. Son Eugene Lonberger gave John and Rosella's wedding anniversary as 11 January, 1909. It is recorded at Hocking County courthouse as 28 January, 1911. John was a barber to the coal miners. They had six children: 1F#8.8.1 Walter T. Lonberger- b 6 May, 1911; 1F#8.8.2 Virgil V. Lonberger- b 2 April, 1913; 1F#8.8.3 John Elias Lonberger- b 1 October, 1916, d 26 December, 1980; 1F#8.8.4 Waveline D. Lonberger- b 11 December, 1918, died in the late 1980's; 1F#8.8.5 Eugene Earl Lonberger- b 5 December, 1921, m 10 June, 1946 to Geraldine Diett- b 12 May, 1923, dau of Harold Diett and Iva Timkin; five children: 1F#8.8.5.1 John Edward Lonberger- b 22 August, 1948; 1F#8.8.5.2 Penny Kay Lonberger- b 1 October, 1952; 1F#8.8.5.3 Deborah Jean Lonberger- b 13 September, 1957; 1F#8.8.5.4 Linda Sue Lonberger- b 1 November, 1958; 1F#8.8.5.5 William Eugene Lonberger- b 10 September, 1964.

1F#8.9 Pearl Vernon;

1F#8.10 Icy Vernon;

1F#8.11 Martha Mary Clare Agnes Vernon- b either 13 or 31 March, 1895 in Sand Run, Ohio.

1F#8.12 Earl Vernon- b 20 July, 1900. Allegedly he went off to fight, was killed in WWI. Interred in Martha Jane's lot at Greenlawn Cemetery in Nelsonville, Ohio.

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