Robert Looney Jr. Branch
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Mrs. Rose Hall, granddaughter of Isaac 5 Looney, stated in March 1963 that she had always understood that an Absalom Looney was buried in the graveyard on the Isaac Looney farm. In the writer's opinion this tradition refers to Absalom 5, the next younger brother of Isaac 5 and it is not unlikely that the stone erected in memory of Isaac was also intended to bear, and may have borne, the name of Isaac's brother, Absalom Looney. (Recent readings at the stone are not conclusive on this.)

Note: Mrs. Hall thought that the Absalom buried on the Isaac Looney place was father of Isaac. This accords with a widespread belief or tradition among Isaac's descendants that Isaac's father was known as Abb Looney. If John 4 Looney was named John Absalom Looney and familiarly known as Abb, the tradition would be more nearly in accord with the facts as they are so far known.

From the census record of 1840 for Polk County and other sources it is known that Absalom and Mary Looney had at least nine children:

Sarah Looney b. ca 1824. Lived in Polk County, Missouri son b. ca 1825 daughter b. ca 1827 Betty b. ca 1829 son b. ca 1831 Didama Looney b. ca 1833; m. (1) 17 June 1866, Constatine Henderson; m. (2) ___________ Stockton and had two sons: Charles Stockton (father of Daniel) and Looney Stockton. Kenner Pain (or Preston) Looney b. 1835 See 6th Generation. Archibald 6 Jesse Looney b. ca 1837 See 6th Generation. son b. ca 1839 End Page - 81 -

In connection with settlement of the estate of Absalom 5 Looney, Kenner P. Looney, Didama Looney, and Archibald J. Looney conveyed interests in Township 32, Range 22, in Polk County to James E. H. Smith.

William 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3) was born about 1815, probably while his parents were living on Indian lands in southeast Tennessee or northern Alabama, where whites were not supposed to encroach. This birth date means that he was about 11 years younger than his brother Absalom 5. The 1840 census of Greene County, Missouri, lists both William and his wife as in the 20/30 age group. The interval between Absalom 5 and William 5 can be accounted for by assuming that three or four of the five daughters were younger than Absalom 5. The youthfulness of William is confirmed by the 1830 census of Ralls County, Missouri, where William is not listed as head of a household but where John Looney has only one boy 10/15 (viz, William) and three girls less than 20 years old. After the migration to Greene County in the early or mid thirties, William 5 Looney m. Elmyria McClure on 23 July 1838 (and John died 16 November 1839). Then at the 1840 census of Greene County, William is head of a household with one female 50/60 who is of course his widowed mother, Mary (Garrison) Looney.

On 1 June 1840 William Looney as legatee of the estate of John Looney deceased receipted to Isaac Looney, administrator of that estate, for $391.33. Then on 14 June 1843 William similarly receipted to Sally Looney, administrator of Isaac, for $65.81. If William owed $62.81 to his father's estate at that time it all agrees with his being entitled to $520 as a 1/12 share.

William 5 Looney and Almiry, his wife, like John Smith, John 5 Looney, Benjamin 5 Looney, and Mary, widow of John 4 Looney, conveyed their interests in the John Looney lands to Jesse Grigsby sometime before 15 April 1850.

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"The House of Looney", compiled by Coyd A Looney of Estacada, Oregon, states that William was the only brother of Jesse who came to Oregon. (It would seem that he did not go all the way in 1843 but went to California first.) His descendants are said to live in the vicinity of Albany, Linn County, Oregon. His death is reported as caused by the kick of a horse while ferrying the Santiam River which forms the north line of Linn County.

Mary 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3), who married James H. H. Smith, was an older child in the John 4 Looney family, perhaps the first or second child. On 27 January 1842 he (Smith) signed a receipt to Isaac Looney, administratrix of the estate of John Looney deceased, for $400 as a guardian for his daughter Elender, a legatee of the said estate. (Since a 1/12 interest was $520 it may be inferred that $120 was due the estate from Smith and his wife Mary.) Their daughter, Elender Smith, married 4 January 1848 Edward J. Adamson. On 13 June 1853 Edmond J. Adamson and Elender Adamson of Lawrence County, Missouri, conveyed to Stephen M. Dillar 16-2/3 acres in Green County, Missouri. (This was 1/12 of 200, the acreage that John 4 Looney, deceased, held at his decease.)

Martha 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3) b. Alabama 13 January 1817, married 2 November 1832 or 1834 John Smith (b. 1 May 1815 in Mercer County, Kentucky) who married (2) Mrs. Nancy (Looney) Robertson. In 1841 John Smith signed receipts to Isaac for $391 and on 31 June 1843 to Sally for $8. It is shown that their indebtedness to the estate was $100 "on account" and $16.95 for articles purchased at the sale. The balance, inferred indebtedness is $4.25. Martha (Looney) Smith died at Bolivar 4 August 1844 and John Smith had married Nancy

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(Looney) Robertson before 15 April 1850 when John Smith and wife deeded to Jesse Grigsby their interest in the lands of John 4 Looney, specifying transfer of 3/12 interest. This interest was composed of 1/12 each for Martha and Nancy and 1/12 for John and Margaret Lair (who conveyed their interest to John Smith on 8 February 1842).

Nancy 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3) m. 29 January 1834 in Greene County, Missouri, John Robertson, who died between 5 July 1841 and 21 June 1843 when Nancy Robinson, administrator, signed the third receipt for their 1/12 share of the personal estate of John 4 Looney, deceased. (Three receipts, two by John Robertson and one by Nancy, totaled $430.77; known indebtedness was $65.60, leaving inferred indebtedness $23.73.) Mrs. Nancy (Looney) Robertson m. (2) John Smith, widower of her older sister Martha (Looney) Smith. It is reported that John Smith and wife Nancy went to Oregon in 1849.

Margaret 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3) married John Lair. His receipt of 1 June 1840 for $392.38 plus accounts due of $60.11 show that they must have owed an additional amount of $67.56 to the estate of John 4 Looney, deceased. As above stated they sold their interest in the lands of John Looney, Sr. on 8 February 1842. That they did not go to Oregon on the first great wagon train in 1843 is evidenced by John Lair's action in 1844 in collecting from Sally Looney, administrator of Isaac Looney, the balance of $51.77 due to Lavinia (Looney) Payne from her father's estate. Their receipt was witnessed by B. A. Jones.

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Lavinia 5 Looney (John 4, Benjamin 3) married Rodham K. Payne. They sold 80 acres on 21 August 1838 to Absalom 5 Looney and on 9 June 1842 80 acres to John 5 Looney. R. K. Payne signed a receipt on 1 June 1840 to Isaac Looney, administrator, for $468.23. Another receipt for $51.77 to Sally Looney, administratrix of Isaac, was undated, but after 21 February 1844, and signed by John Lair for R. K. Payne. The total is $520 (and thus no indebtedness to the estate of John Looney, deceased, is inferable). It is reported that they moved to Oregon on the great wagon train in 1843.

Possibly the Paynes had a daughter Rachel who with husband John H. Hastings on 13 November 1852 deeded lands to Stephen M. Dillard. These lands were certainly adjacent to, and may well have included an interest in the lands left by John 4 Looney, deceased.

Allen 5 Looney (Isam 4, Benjamin 3) was born 17 July 1798 in the western part of Hawkins County, perhaps in Stanley Valley on the waters of Big Creek. He lived with his parents in Hawkins County at least until 1815, but by 1819 Allen 5 and his brothers William J. and Benjamin were on Indian lands and signed a petition protesting their ejection. This was probably in Alabama Territory, Jackson County, where his father settled a few years later.

On 15 August 1822 Allen married Elizabeth Bledsoe (b. 6 August 1804 in South Carolina, d. 6 September 1872). They were living near his father Isam 4 Looney in Jackson County, Alabama, at the 1830 census with two daughters, one 5/10 and the other 0/5. With this family lived a female 60/70 who is unknown to the writer. (Could this be Elizabeth Bledsoe's mother?) Allen's daughters at that time were Mary Ann b. 1824 and Dorcas b. 1827.

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