Canine - Family - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

By Karen Zach, Around the County

Thursday, May 28, 2020 4:00 AM
The Paper of Montgomery County

Doubt there would be anyone living in our county (even those coming in new soon know it) who haven’t heard the name Canine here. Marie Canine Cancer Center; Canine Plaza; Canine Boots & Shoes; Canine Hardware . . . the list goes on. It’s a huge family and I’ve always wanted to write about them; however, there’s a problem. Where to start!

Often the name was early-on spelled Carnine as well as with double n’s Cannine. Several wonderful researchers have worked on this family. I helped a number of them when I worked at the Crawfordsville Public Library and met more when the internet became popular (Bob, Shirley . . . ). Some of the information passed on, researched and refined was from Edwin Nelson Canine, as well.

Guess I’ll start with Peter. He was the son of Dirk and Cathlyn LaFever Canine and was born in Bound Brook, Somerset County, New Jersey, that was very near the New York Line. In July 1776, he enlisted to serve for our American Independence as quarter master in the 1st NJ Battalion under Col. Quick. There were at least two other Canines, Andrew and Richard, the latter serving in the Revolutionary War often with brother, Peter, both having participated in the Battle of Germantown.

After the war, Peter and several friends and relatives headed first to York County, PA then to Kentucky where they eventually settled near Harrodsburg, he obtaining 1,000 acres of land from his service. He served as one of the trustees in Old Mud Meeting House, a Dutch Reformed Church and one of only two log churches in Kentucky still in existence. He and wife Catherine Sebring parented eight children, three daughters and five sons. Although a fairly large slave holder, he later freed them and was generous in helping them get started in life. Although almost all of his children moved on to Indiana (he coming several times right here to the Crawfordsville area to visit) and farther west, he remained living in Kentucky and passed away there although I could not find him in findagrave. Some of his neighbors you will recognize: Vancleave, Fullenwider, Galey.

Daughter Catherine married John Smock and they lived in Marion County, Indiana. Son Richard married Charity VanNuys and raised ten children near Crawfordsville. Some of those children stayed; others on to Missouri and still others to Chicago. Daughter Letitia married John Vannice – they had at least two daughters and stayed right here in Montgomery County. It is assumed that eventually the VanNuys and Vannice would meld into the same family, but that would take a bit more research. Both families came from Somerset, New Jersey where the Canines hail from so likely they technically come from the same progenitor. Ann Canine, daughter of Peter married John Terhune. John died fairly young in Shelby County, Kentucky but not sure whether Ann remained there or not.

John Canine and Peter Jr. existed but I personally know nothing about them. However, their brother, Cornelius married (ready?) Dorothy VanNuys and they came to Montgomery County, having nine children. Most of this group stayed in Indiana but were in Boone, Howard, Cass and elsewhere with just a couple staying here.

Then there is Ralph, who populated Montgomery County quite well. He married in 1809 in Shelby Co KY to Margaret Warman and they prospered with their ten children. Ralph was in the War of 1812 and lacked a couple of months of being 90 when he passed away. Born December 3, 1789 in Conewago, PA, he died in Montgomery County 27 September 1879 and is buried at Old Union Cemetery just outside of Waveland. He was an early settler of Brown Township, coming here on the first day of January (brrrr) in 1826. A strong member of the United (Union) Baptist Church, he, like his father, helped organize the local church; thus, is appropriately buried in its cemetery. Margaret died 5 Nov 1863 having been born 18 Nov 1780.

Ralph and Margaret’s son Peter married Hester Ann Clark and they were parents of ten children. He was a large land-owning farmer in Brown Township and they are also buried at Old Union along with some of their children.

Their next child, John “Richard” Canine was a farmer and in the mercantile business. He married Eliza Gwinn and they parented four sons and five daughters. William R. Canine had a large Woolen Mill at Deers Mill. He was twice married and fathered at least two sons and a daughter.

Ralph’s daughter, Martha Ann (born 2 Feb 1818 Shelby Co KY) married Andrew Jackson Clark and before her young death on October 16, 1839 (buried Old Union with her parents) she mothered Margaret and Jane Clark, likely dying in childbirth with the latter. James Wilson Canine was a Major in the US Army. He married Lucretia Deere who also died in October in 1839. There were ten children born to he and his wives, his second being Sarah Carson.

Tyna Jane born in Shelby County 16 June 1822 married Granville Harper 1 Nov 1838 in Montgomery and she passed away in 1839, as well.

Catherine Ellen married Whitfield Clore, and they both passed away quite young and are buried at Old Union. They did have one child, Margaret Frances.

Cornelius Leonard Canine married Keziah Montgomery and they lived near Waveland their whole lives, parenting six daughters and four sons. Most stayed here and were farming folks, but one son, Marion “Montgomery” was a minister. Daughter Margaret passed away at age 23 and is buried at Old Union.

Finally, Ralph and Margaret’s youngest, John Jackson Canine lived his life on his father’s property but I think was also a minister. He and wife Sarah Foster, sadly, lost three sons but daughter, Mary Winifred Canine married John Lincoln Oldshue and they were parents of three children.

Among the Canine family there were grocers, millers, ministers, farmers, military men and almost all were Baptists. Many talents – for instance, Red Canine in the photo attached was not only an impressive football player (who of course goes back to Peter Canine) but went into the Navy after high school, obtained Chief, and moved to California where he remained. Into the family intertwined Clores, Doyles, Dawsons, Deers, Miles, Milligan, Mitchells, and Moores. Several more, of course, but those are the main ones in our community that are also names we all know!

Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.