James Frank Ladd (1816-01-21 – 1899-12-04), middle name sometimes recorded as Franklin, was my great-great-great-grandfather, being the father of Hannah Ladd, wife of Joel McPherson, by his wife Sidnah Ann Leuty. He was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky; lived a while in Rhea County, Tennessee; and ultimately settled in Walla Walla, Washington.

He was the son of James Ladd and Elizabeth Hardwick.

Origins

There are many Ladd family researchers, who all seem to agree that James was the son of James and Elizabeth, but I struggled to find proof. It’s possible this information was simply passed down.

As of now, there are two main pieces of evidence:

• A Ladd descendant claimed in 1999 to have a letter from James to his brother which validates the relationship.⁠^{⟮1⟯https://mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/emails?listname=&thread=25892288 (broken link)} The poster was a regular on the Ladd mailing list and there’s no reason to think he made this up.
• There are several transcriptions of the will of James (Sr.) from Henry County, Kentucky Will Book 2, page 369, one by the above person.⁠^{⟮2⟯https://mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/emails?listname=&thread=23214490 (broken link)} It mentions a son “James Franklin”, but without further identifying details.

Together these make a strong case of the correctness of this tradition.

Children

James married Sidnah (née Leuty) Gillespie on 1846-10-15, as her second husband. He had five known children by her, all born in Rhea County: 

Adelia in 1885⁠^{⟮3⟯Find a Grave memorial for Adelia}

• Thomas F. Ladd (1848 – 1929-11-18), married Mary Frances Sloan.
• Mary Leuty Ladd (1851 – 1934-06-26), married first Jesse Ingo Cash, second Elliott Perkins.
• Hannah Elisabeth Ladd (1852-12-18 – 1904-11-04), my great-great-grandmother and wife of Joel McPherson.
• Adelia Ann Ladd (1855-04-12 – 1934-05-18), married Landon C. Irvine.
• Loduska Henrietta Ladd (1859-06-01 – 1949-11-04), married Milton Bower Johnson.⁠^{⟮4⟯Her birth year is sometimes given as 1860, but she is in the 1860 census taken in late June aged 1.}

I have DNA matches to a few descendants of Mary.

Gravestone discrepancy

His gravestone has his year of death as 1900. This must be an error, as James’s death return gives the 1899 date, and was signed and dated the day after.

Ancestry

See

• Find a Grave memorial

Footnotes

1. ↑ https://mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/emails?listname=&thread=25892288 (broken link)
2. ↑ https://mlarchives.rootsweb.com/listindexes/emails?listname=&thread=23214490 (broken link)
3. ↑ Find a Grave memorial for Adelia
4. ↑ Her birth year is sometimes given as 1860, but she is in the 1860 census taken in late June aged 1.