There are a number of Mansker families who turn up in the public records but who can't be placed onto the Mansker/Minsker family tree. Their places of birth and/or residence indicate strongly a relationship to Ludwig's sons, George Mansker and John Minsker. John appears to have had a number of other sons besides James Minsker and John Mansker, so it seems likely that some of these "missing Manskers" are descended from them.
Be sure to see the new Inquiries Page for more "Missing Manskers".
There are also a number of Mansker and Minsker men on the Manskers at War Page who haven't been firmly attached to the rest of the family.
Jane Mansker
Jane Mansker first appears in the Sumner County, Tennessee, court records in 1788, when she was cited in a grand jury summons for one Basil Fry, who was charged with "living in an unlawful manner" with her. A year later, Jane was acquitted of a charge of adultery but was fined 25 shillings for having a "base born child". Finally, Jane and Basil were married on 8 Mar 1791, which presumably resolved any lingering issues surrounding their relationship.
Assuming Jane was around 20 years old when Basil was first summoned, her date of birth would have been circa 1768, but she doesn't appear in the records as a daughter of any of the Mansker/Minsker sons of Ludwig Mäintzger, nor is she mentioned as a daughter to Ludwig in his will. (Unless, of course, she was the unnamed daughter married to Henry Albright, but then she would probably be too old to carry on this way, and why would she be living in Tennessee and going by the name "Mansker"? On the other hand, Jane seems to have been pretty much of a "free spirit" and anything is possible...)
John Mansker
Hardly anything is known about this particular John Mansker, other than the fact that his name appears on the death certificate of one of his sons. His date of birth, date of death and his parentage are all a mystery. He married Elizabeth Dugger around 1840; she was born on 16 May 1820 in Sumner Co, Tennessee, probably a daughter of Luke Dugger.
Luke Dugger, incidentally, was the bondsman at the marriage of William Mansker and Arvilla Dugger, which took place on 21 August, 1816, . William Mansker was the son of James Minsker (see the Descendants Page), who in turn was the son of John Minsker, and the grandson of the immigrant, Ludwig Mäintzger. The relationships among the Duggers and Manskers are unclear and are subject to much speculation.
John could have been the John "Mansco" who, along with Ellender Coffee Mansco, sold some property on Mill Creek in Davidson County, Tennessee, on 27 December 1804. The property was part of a military grant of 640 acres to Henry Coffee. The relationship among these people is likewise unknown. It is also possible that John Mansker was a son of John and Ellender Mansco, but this only pushes the question of his parentage back another generation, since next to nothing is known about this John Mansco, either.
John and Elizabeth were the parents of four children: (See also the Descendants of John Mansker Page.)
- James Franklin, born April 1841 in Sumner Co, Tennessee
- Wilamine Medora, born circa 1843
- William Thomas, born 30 Jan 1845 in Sumner Co, Tennessee
- Mary Louise, born 28 April 1848 in Sumner Co, Tennessee.
Several of the Mansker families in Texas are descended from John and Elizabeth Mansker. (See also the Texas Manskers Page.)
By 1850, Elizabeth was living alone with four children; it is likely that John died prior to that time. Elizabeth Dugger Mansker died on 24 August 1899 in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Reuben Mansker Reuben Mansker married Polly Borders in Sumner Co, Tennessee, on 3 September 1812; Peter Borders was the bondsman. It appears that Reuben also migrated to Arkansas about the same time as George Sr., George Jr., and William. At some point the spelling of his name was changed to "Mesker". He was a land surveyor and owned 200 acres in Allen County, Kentucky, for some years, but he seems to have died in Greene County, Arkansas, around 1850.
It appears that Reuben Mansker isn't a Mansker after all. He was most likely actually Reuben Messicor, b. 1780 in Sumner Co, TN., the son of Reuben Messicor, b. 1744 in Somerset County, NJ. Reuben was the son of Evert Messicor and Lena Tietsoort.
Since the Manskers had been in the county for a long time and were famous locally, most likely the person recording the marriage heard "Mansker" when Reuben stated his last name, and thus the marriage came down as a Mansker Marriage.
Special thanks to Ann Messecar,
Elliott Mansker & Washington Mansker
In the 1850 census for Ripley Co, Missouri, Elliott Mansker and Washington Mansker (both spelled "Mansico") are found livng in close proximity to each other. Washington's age is given as 25 years, born in Tennessee, with wife Sarah, age 23, born in Georgia. Elliott's age is also 25, and he was born in Tennessee as well.
Elliott Mansker married Lucinda Leach in Ripley Co, Missouri, on 28 January 1851. In the 1860 Ripley County census, there is an E. Mansker, born in Tennessee, along with wife L. Mansker, born in Missouri, and children W. Mansker, male, age 5, J. Mansker, female, age 3, and M. Mansker, female, all born in Missouri. In the 1870 census for Butler and Caldwell Counties, William Mansker, age 14, Martha Mansker, age 10, and Sarah Mansker, age 7, all born in Missouri, are living in the household of Noah Smith. It would appear that Elliott and Sarah had died in the 1860s. There is strong speculation that the oldest son, William Mansker, is actually the Arkansas train robber, Albert Mansker.
Other records of Ripley County show Martha Mansker marrying William Guest on 14 November 1874, and a Frances "Mansico" marrying John W. Davis on 26 January 1872. Martha appears to be the M. Mansker listed in the 1860 census.
According to a DAR application completed by Mary Tancred Farley in 1939, her great-grandmother, Frances Mansker Davis, was the daughter of Elliott Mansker and Martha Frances McMillan, who died in childbirth in 1849. The father of Elliott Mansker was listed as William Mansker, son of George Mansker, Sr. This is the first reference I have seen listing Elliott Mansker as a son of William Mansker and Louisa Briley Mansker (seeDescendants Page).
The issue of the relationship, if any, between Eliott and Washington Mansker is still unresolved. If they were brothers, as seems likely, then the odds on both of them being unknown children of William and Louisa Briley Mansker seem to be extremely remote.
What seems much more likely is that Elliott Mansker was actually the son of the William Mansker who married Arvilla Dugger. They were married in 21 Aug 1816, and there are no children listed for them between an unnamed child born 1817 and Ann Mansker born 1830. Elliott was born circa 1825.
This William had a brother named Archibald Elliott Mansker, and they were both sons of James Minsker and grandsons of John Minsker, who was the eldest son of Ludwig Mäintzger. It would appear, then, that Mrs. Farley simply identified the wrong William Mansker on her DAR application.
James Elliott Mansker was born in Alabama on 21 April 1825; his parents were not listed in the IGI record, but a relative, Reuben William Dotson, was.
David Mansker appears in the records of both Pickens County, where he lived, and in Greene County, where he owned land. In the 1830 Alabama census he is listed having one child, a boy. It is possible that David Moore Mansker (see above) is the son of this David Mansker.
In 1825, a David Mansker also filed a land patent for 80.35 acres in Hale County. In 1831, Eleanor Manskerfiled a land patent for 79,71 acres in the same area of the county.
In the records of Greene County, Alabama, we find the following marriages: Elizabeth Mansker married Riley Hues on 7 Apr 1824, and Kitty Mansker married Jesse Gilham on 25 March 1825.
The relationships among these Alabama Manskers is currently unknown.
The Arkansas Manskers
George Mansker, born in Arkansas in March 1870, is listed in the 1900 Arkansas census, living in the town of Corning, Arkansas, with his wife Molly, born Arkansas September 1872, and daughters Effie (born March 1891), Ilena (born March 1893), Vira (born December 1897) and son Lesley (born June 1895). Corning is in northeastern Arkansas, near Pocahontas, where the family of George Mansker Sr. and Jr. settled. Obviously there is a connection, but what it is it?
Louise Elizabeth Mansker appears in Arkansas in the late 1800s. She was married to Jacob F. Chorice, who was born in Indiana 5 July 1854. Louise and Jacob were the parents of 10 children: Genetta, Martha, William Henry, Minerva Jane, Mary Ila, George Harrison, Clara Ethell, Jonathan Elmer, and Ethell, most or all of whom appear to have been born in Arkansas. Clara married J. Oscar Goodman and lived in the Corning area, where he died in 1925. After his death she moved to Texas where her sister Della lived. Louise died 4 December 1903, location unknown but possibly Texas.
Clara developed a mental illness of some kind and was eventually sent to the Wichita Falls State Hospital, where she died in 1967. Information from the funeral director's records indicate that she was born 17 November 1893 in Arkansas, the daughter of Elizabeth Mansker and J. F. Chorice.
So who was Louise Elizabeth Mansker? The Arkansas connection to the George Mansker families seems clear, but how is she connected? Could she have been a sister to George Mansker (see above)? Or was she the Elizabeth Mansker who was the daughter of John Mansker and Martha Shaver (see the Descendants Page)?
Rebecca Mansker married William Rice on 27 February 1842 in Warm Springs, Randolph County, Arkansas. William Rice was an associate justice present when the first Randolph County court was held on 4 April 1836. There was a Rebecca Mansker in Randolph County who was of an age to be this Rebecca, but she was married to James Ingram (see Descendants Page). Who were the parents of Rebecca Mansker Rice and when was she born?
See also the Arkansas Marriage Records page for a large number of additional Missing Manskers from the state of Arkansas.
Sallie Mansker, age 9, appears on the census rolls of Pope County, Arkansas, in 1870, the daughter of John S. Mansker and Margaret Allen Mansker; no other information is available.
Susan R. Mansker, born circa 1862, also the daughter of John S. and Margaret, married William L. Davis in Pope County, Arkansas, on 8 August 1880.
Does anyone have any information on these two individuals and/or their descendants?
Cornelius A. "Bud" Mansker was born circa 1887. On 25 Jan 1905 in Randolph County, AR, he married Birdie Kerley. At the time of their marriage, he was 18, she was 15. Along with the marriage affadavit, written consent of the parents of C.A. Mansker and Birdie Kerley was filed. E.A. Kerley, Birdie's cousin, stood bond, but it does not identify his parents.
In 1915, Bud Mansker was arrested and charged with Violation of the Mann Act, White Slavery and Carnal Abuse. He was convicted and sent to prison. In late 1916, he was paroled. In early 1917, he was arrested and accused of the same charges. While out on bond awaiting trial he took off. Later, he was arrested in New Mexico and returned to Clay County. He was convicted and sent back to prison. He was taken to the Arkansas Penitentiary on Aug. 21, 1917. On July 24, 1917, Birdie had an infant who died a week later on July 31, 1917.
Cornelius Jasper Mansker, the son of Matthew Casper Mansker and grandson of George Mansker Jr., was born abt 1848, and he married Euromanda Biffle in Randolph Count, AR, 28 Dec 1873. Was this Cornelius the father of Cornelius "Bud" Mansker? It seems likely, but is there proof?
According to census records for 1900, Cornelius Jasper Mansker, also known as "Neal", was the father of "Bud" Mansker. See the The Old Mansker Cemetery, Randolph County Page.
The Illinois Manskers
The marriage records of Washington County, Illinois, show John G. Mansker & Nancy E. Clayton marrying on 1 Apr 1850. Lewis Mansker and Betsy Simpkins Mansker had a son named John G., born circa 1818 and died circa 1853 (see the Manskers at War page), but he married Elizabeth Steppe. Was this a second marriage for him?
The marriage records of Randolph County, Illinois, show John Manskar marrying Delila Glenn on 25 February 1844, and Sarah A. Mansker marrying William Taylor on 30 Dec 1848. Obviously there is a connection to theSamuel Mansker family, but what is it? Neither of these individuals show up anywhere in the records as children of Samuel. Are they descended from his brothers, William, James, John or Elvis? Or is this John Manskar actually Samuel's brother, John Mansker? (See Descendants Page.)
Likewise, according to the 1850 census, an Elizabeth Mansker was born in Randolph County in 1830. In 1850 she married a John Moore, who died in 1863. She then married a W. Teague in Randolph County in 1864. She and John Moore had several children, among them Solinda, Willis and Samuel. These names are very similar to those given some of the children of Larancy Mansker and John Moore (see Descendants Page), which implies a connection among these people, but what is it?
In the Old Brownsville Cemetery in Jackson County, Illinois, there is a grave marked Ellis Mansker, died April 20, 1831, Jackson County. Given that Jackson County is the next county east from Randolph County, a connection to the Samuel Mansker family seems likely, but there is no record of Ellis as a son or grandson of Samuel or his brothers.
There is a Cora Mansker buried in the Etherton Cemetery, also in Jackson County, Illinois. She was born in 1875 and died in 1913. Her parents were John and Minerva Etherton, so she was married to a Mansker. Who was he?
Monroe T. Mansker shows up in the 1900 census records of Graves Co, Kentucky, as having been born in Kentucky in August 1863. He was living with wife Belle, who was born in Kentucky in January 1866. Four children are also listed: (1) Robert, born in April 1889; (2) Samuel, born 1891; (3) Ollie (daughter) born 1894; (4) Libby born in July 1899. (Note the similarity between the names of these children and those of Josephine Mansker, above.) The parents of this Mansker are also unknown.
John T. Mansker also appears in the 1900 census for Graves County. He was born in Tennessee in 1840 and was living alone at the time of the census. He may have been the father of Monroe Mansker, but then who were the parents of John T.?
Samuel Mansker was born in Kentucky in 1874. By the time of the 1900 census, he was living in Los Angeles with his wife, Lottie, who was born in Pennsylvania in September 1874, and daughter Nellie, who was born in Arkansas in November 1896. Who were his parents?
Andrew Mansco and James Mansco both served in the Civil War, having enlisted as privates in Company E of the 11th Kentucky Infantry (Union). Who were these men? Were they the sons of the Tennessee "Manscow" family that served in the War of 1812 (see below)?
The Missouri Manskers
In 1857, Ambers Mansker, Jacob L. Mansker and John Mansker filed for land patents in Bollinger County. All of the land patents were in the same "neighborhood", so to speak, indicating a probable relationship among them. Lewis Mansker, the son of John Mansker and Mary Shell(?), had a son named Jacob Lewis, born in 1832. He was of the right age to be Jacob L. Moreover, Bollinger County is the next county west of Cape Girardeau County. So who are these people?
On 28 January 1866, Mary E. Mansker, born in Missouri in 1846, married Benjamin Franklin Cato in Bollinger County. James Daniel Mansker had a daughter named Mary Elizabeth, but since he was born in 1831, he is a little too young to be a likely candidate for her father. Instead, his father, John G. Mansker, (son of the Lewis Mansker who married Betsy Simpkins, who in turn was a son of George Mansker Sr.) was born around 1818 and he had a daughter whose name I have as Mary Jane Mansker. Are these two Marys the same person? Or is Mary E. someone else entirely? 11-4-05: Cato descendant Adruain Cato verified from Missouri land records that Mary was indeed Mary Elizabeth.
In 1893, William H. Mansker filed for a land patent in Webster County. Webster County is the next county west of Wright County, home to some of the descendants of Michael Mansker; is this Michael's son, William Henry Mansker? 08-01-2006: William H. Mansker descendant Joanna Powell-Wilson verified that this is William Henry Mansker, the son of Michael Mansker.
The Mississippi Manskers
In Warren County, Mississippi, on 20 January 1819, Kasper Mansker, son of John Mansker and grandson of George Mansker, Sr., was married to Margaret Wallis. Was Kasper the ancestor of the Mississippi Manskers?
Thomas J. Mansker married A. L. Whitaker on 24 April 1885 in Yalobusha County, Mississippi. His parentage is unknown. By 1900, an Ione Mansker, age 14, born in Mississippi in February 1886, was living with, and listed on the census rolls as a neice of, George R. Whitaker. A few families away was a P. Mansker, age 8, born in Missouri in December 1891, living with and listed as a nephew of Warren C. Whitaker. Again, the relationship, if any, between all of these individuals is unknown.
David Moore Mansker (see the Manskers at War Page and his photograph) served in the 1st Regiment, Mississippi Light Artillery during the Civil War. He enlisted from Choctaw County, Mississippi, and when he died in March 1864, his next of kin was listed as Emily Mansker, Huntsville, Choctaw County, Mississippi.
J. D. Mansker was born in Mississippi in October 1862; in the 1900 census he was living in Montgomery Co, Mississippi with his wife, Nettie, who was born in Mississippi in October 1868. They also had five children living with them: (1) Annie, born June 1887; (2) Albert, born in April 1889; (3) Alma, born December 1891; (4) Claude, born February 1904; (5) Nellie, born April 1896. J. D. appears to have been the son of David Moore Mansker.
Josephine Mansker, born in Tennessee in February 1863, appears in the 1900 census in Dunklin Co, Missouri, where she is living with four Gregory daughters: (1) Belle, born April 1882; (2) Liddie, born January 1887; (3) Ollie, born February 1889; (4) Ruth, born February 1894. Did Josephine marry a Mansker after the death of her first husband, or did she revert to her family name after an ugly divorce? If she was married to a Mansker, who was he?
James "Manscow", along with Jeremiah, Joel, and John "Manscow" served in the 36th Regiment of the Tennessee militia in the War of 1812. Given that "Mansco" was a very common spelling of the family name in that time and place (see above), it seems likely that these individuals are members of the Mansker family, but how are they related?
Mary Mansker married Joseph Dearman in Sumner Co, Tennessee, on 15 April 1826; William Shaw was the bondsman.
John F. Mansker married Martha P. Kiger in Robertson Co, Tennessee, on 27 January 1853.
Two mysteries solved! Mary Mansker was the daughter of James Minsker, b. circa 1772, PA, son of John Minsker & grandson of Ludwig Mäintzger. John F. Mansker was the son of William Mansker (b. 29 Oct 1795 PA), who was a brother of Mary Mansker.
The Lexington Cemetery in Henderson Co., Tennessee, has two Mansker graves: Edward, 10/29/1911 -- 3/1/1913, Son of E. K. and C. G. Mansker; and Edward Mansker, 2/20/1886 -- 11/20/1917 (fallen). Woodmen of the World memorial. WPA reports a symbol with "Spanish War Veterans 1898-1902".
Susan Mansker married John Jackson in Williamson Co, Tennessee, on 25 Aug 1838.
Miscellaneous "Missing" Manskers
See the Mystery Photos page for a picture of a certain "Mr Mansker of Ranger, Texas" that recently was sold on Ebay. Any ideas as to who this is?
In the old Brownsville, Illinois, cemetery, there is a grave marked Ellis Mansker, died April 20, 1831. A relationship to the Samuel Mansker family seems likely, but who was he?
On March 18, 1912, in San Antonio, Texas, Henry C. Mansker, Sr., was killed and his son James was severely injured in the explosion of a railroad locomotive. See On the Web for the link to the story. Who were these Manskers? They could be related to the rest of the Texas Manskers, but how?
According to the Encyclopedia of Western Lawmen & Outlaws, one "Jim Mansker, a gunman, was killed at Miles City, Mont., in 1894 during a gunfight." Who was Jim Mansker? See the inquiries page for a possible clue. An article in The Mountain Democrat, Placerville CA from early 1894 has more information:
A cowboy named Jim Mansker was shot and killed by officers at Miles City Jan. 16. Mansker was wanted on a charge of stealing cattle in North Dakota. The officers ordered him to throw up his hands. but [sic] he tried to draw a revolver, and was killed. He was from New Mexico.
New York Times, 11 January 1936:
"Girl's Kidnapper Gets 5 Years. Poplar Bluff, Mo, Jan 10 (AP): John Mansker, a 50-year-old farmer, was sentenced to five years imprisonment today for kidnapping the girl he said he loved. Mansker was arrested Jan. 2 after allegedly luring Miss Alberta Garrett, 19, from her home here on the story that her aunt was ill. He then threatened her life with a gun, she told officers, and forced her to accompany him. ‘I loved her, that's why I took her,' he said."
New York Times17 April 1938:
"Florence Kushner Engaged. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer Kushner of the Bronx have announced the engagement of their daughter, Miss Florence Kushner, to Dr. Joseph S. Mansker, son of Mrs. Ann Mansker, of the Bronx, formerly of Brockton, Mass. The marriage will take place in June. Dr. Mansker, a graduate of the University of West Virginia and the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, is with the Fourth Surgical Division of Bellevue Hospital."
Dr. Joseph Mansker, born circa 1910, was the son of Samuel Manskirch, born in Russia circa 1875, and not a descendant of Ludwig Mäintzger. See the Manskirch Manskers Page.
If anyone can provide any additional information on any of the individuals on this page, or connections between these "missing" Manskers and the rest of the family tree, please
Don't forget to see the "Mystery" Photographs Page
