"Churchbooks of the Lutheran and German Reformed Congregations of the Glick/Salem (Union)/Brick Church, 1808-1915, Bloom Township, Fairfield County, OH", Fairfield Co. Chapter OGS, 1993, p 3. Sponsors: Henrich and wf. Gluck.

have book, passed to me by my father, called "History of Seneca County from the Close of the Revolutionary War to July, 1880" by William Lang.(Reproduced by Unigraphic,Inc., Evansville,IN under the sponsorship of The Seneca County Historical Society, Tiffin, OH.) Mr. Lang was a prominent Tiffin attorney, soldier, newspaper publisher, and statewide politician, who apparently knew personally several generations of Dildines and McEwens in the county. The book is dated July 1,1880. It is short on sources and documentation, but Mr. Lang obviously enjoyed a good story, and tells a number of them about our mutual ancesters. The book includes (pp.513-14) a full-page bio of Daniel Dildine, sr.,(1780-1872),whom Lang apparently knew well, and also records an interview (p.522)with James McEwen about the life of his father William McEwen, who"lived...with his wife and twenty-one children" (p.507) in Clinton Township. James McEwen is included (p.416) in a list of members of the Pioneer Association, a group organized by a number of "old 'bushwackers'" that included Daniel Dildine,Sr. James McEwen's entry says he was born feb. 14,1818, in Northhampton Co., PA and located in Clinton Twp.,Aug 6,1823.
I believe that Daniel Dildine's wife, Margaret (1783-1862) was James McEwen's sister. Both families were among the first white settlers in Seneca County, and in previous generations both families had lived in Upper New Bethel Twp.,Northhampton Co.,Pa. I believe that I am descended from Daniel and Margaret through their son Andrew (1805-???). Andrew was married to Jane Owen, and they had 3 children: Richard, William Henry, and Stella. William H.(1842-1895) served in 123d Ohio Infantry (a unit organized by William Lang) and then, about 1873, moved to Leipsic,Putnam Co.,OH where he is buried in Sugar Ridge Cemetery. W.H.Dildine was married to Icedone Carles (1865-1916) and they had 6 children, including my grandfather, Evan Owen Dildine (1872-1931).
My grandmother, Margaret Ellen Ducatt Dildine (1877-1958) used to say that I had an ancestor named Peggy McEwen and that my red hair (and maybe my temper) must have come down from her. She was of French descent and she thought the McEwens were Irish. My father, Ross Emerson Dildine (1915-1997), my brother Dale, my sister Diane, and I were all born in Leipsic, but we are now in NC,IL, and MD, respectively. My mother,Dorothy Stultz Dildine,still lives in Leipsic.

My father believed he was the only male descendent of the line from his grandfather, Wm. Henry and we know nothing besides the above regarding Andrew Dildine, son of Daniel Sr. and Margaret, or of Jane Owen. An intriguing possibility is that Jane was descended fron David Evan Owen,a prominent Seneca Co. politician and Daniel Dildine's good friend (see Lang pp.303 and 306),whose family also were neighbors of the previous generation in Fishing Creek Twp, Northumberland Co. PA. My grandfather was evidently named after Mr. Owen. I would be grateful for any info that anyone has about the Andrew/Jane Dildine family in Seneca County,OH.

I also have copies of newspaper obits for Daniel,Sr., Margaret McEwen, William Henry, Evan Owen, and Margaret Ellen, if anyone has an interest in these. If you can't get a copy of the Lang book, I will be happy to post the relevant excerpts here. The stories are priceless. The book also has info about a number of other Seneca Co. Dildines, in particular Daniel,Jr. and Frank Dildine, who were active in politics,newspapers and law (yes, those have always gone together.) I hope you find this helpful, I would appreciate anything you could share with me.

Larry L. Dildine


Recently a FLANSBURG/SISTY/DILDINE/MCQUOWN family bible reference was located and it supplies the information on John MCQUOWN/MCEWEN b Apr 15, 1745, d. Dec 22, 1815, m. Dec 3, 1771 to Margaret HERRON/HERIN b. Nov 29, 1755 d. May 21, 1826. Their daughter Margaret b. Sep 24, 1783.

Also listed were the following:

William Huffman Martin b. Nov 3, 1826????
(I have no info on this connection)

John DILDINE b. Mar 24, 1804;
Andrew DILDINE b. Dec 1, 1805;
Daniel DILDINE b. Nov 11 -12 -13, 1807;
Anna Magden DILDINE b. Aug 24, 1809;
Williana(sp?) [William McEwen] DILDINE b. Aug 9, 1816;
Eliza DILDINE b. Jan 16, 1818.

I am trying to locate the holder of this bible as it was included in a genealogy report prepared by Austin C. Graybeal of Des Moines, Iowa. he lists the bible as a family record and prepared the report for the Flansburg family.

He also mentions the James McEwen report in Lang's book on Seneca Co.

Bruce E. McEwen