Jeremiah Duskin

Born: February 22, 1788; Randolph Co., North Carolina

Father:  William Duskin

Mother:  Unknown - see note below

Married:  Dorcas Trogdon; August 14, 1812; Randolph Co., North Carolina

Children:

  • William Franklin Duskin - April 4, 1813; Randolph Co., North Carolina
  • Solomon Duskin - 1815; North Carolina
  • Lindsay Duskin - March 20, 1818; Randolph Co., North Carolina
  • John Duskin - 1821; North Carolina
  • Tabitha Duskin - 1825
  • Catherine Duskin - April 16, 1828
  • Sarah Duskin - 1831
  • Cynthia M. Duskin - 1836

Died:  June 26, 1867; Wayne Co., Iowa

Burial: Genoa Cemetery, Monroe Twp., Wayne Co., Iowa

Tax List:

  • 1815 - Randolph Co., North Carolina; 100 acres on Bush Creek, value $80.

Census:

Occupation:  Wagon & Carriage maker (Trogdon Family History, p.73; W.F. Trogdon, 1926), Farmer (1860 census)

Religion: Wesleyan Methodist (Trogdon Family History, p.74; W.F. Trogdon, 1926)

The mysteries surrounding Jeremiah's parents:

For many years it has been widely believed and reported that the parents of Jeremiah were William Duskin and Catherine Allred.  This was based upon research by genealogist William Perry Johnson of Raleigh, North Carolina.  In a 1975 or 1976 letter to Helen Duskin, whose husband is a descendant of Jeremiah through his son, Lindsay, and who has been a leading researcher of Duskin genealogy for many decades, Mr. Johnson mentions that several years earlier he had copied the old bastardy bond records at the Randolph Co. courthouse and that a bastardy bond was issued in 1788 to William Duskin and Catherine Alred.  Recent research by Jean LaCoss finds that this particular bond is not present among the records.  However, she did locate references to two court records in the Fall 1999 edition of the Randolph County Genealogical Journal:

  • Recognizance (14 May 1788) for appearance of William Duskins for begetting an illegitimate child upon one Cattren Allred.

  • Presentment (Jun 1788) of William Richards, Esq. and William Deskins, laborer, that they allegedly took on 2 Jun 1788 a striped garment "commonly called a frock" of sixpence value from Catherine Allred. w/ Cath. Alred, Eliz. Alred, George (?), Solomon Alred

No information regarding the disposition of either case has been identified yet.  Catherine Allred did have a child, John C. Allred, who was born (apparently out of wedlock, although no bastardy bond is evident) about 1794, and whose father is unknown, but recent DNA testing of descendants of John C. Allred indicates that his father may have been a Robbins.  Catherine Allred later married Isaac Odell in 1802.  It should be noted that according to the law at that time, illegitimate children were given the last name of the mother, so if Catherine Allred was Jeremiah's mother, his last name would have been Allred unless William and Catherine subsequently married and William adopted Jeremiah, and we know that this was not the case.

Recent DNA testing of one reputed descendent  of Jeremiah, Dennis Duskin, Jr., and several individuals named Ellis indicate a match.  I have not participated in a DNA study to this point, but in light of recent findings, I am very close to finding out what my genome tells me.

There are some references in research on the Trogdon's that Dorcas Trogdon married Jeremiah Duskin. Jr. but further research is necessary to confirm or deny the validity of this.

So, what do we know for sure regarding Jeremiah's parents?  We know that William Duskin and Catherine Allred knew each other and that some bad blood evidently existed between them.  However, it is highly unlikely that Catherine Allred is Jeremiah's mother.  Further, no documentation is evident to this point that can either confirm or deny that William Duskin is the father of Jeremiah Duskin or that Jeremiah Duskin, Sr. is the father of Jeremiah Duskin or that someone named Ellis is the father of Jeremiah Duskin, but there is at least some evidence that might tend to support each of these claims.  The last thing that we know for sure is that there is much more research to be done in order to find out the truth.