Family Friday – Eli Gilpin 1810 – 1887

Just back from a great week with family for Spring Break, so no new information on my Stephens line.

I’ve decided to post a descendant list for Eli Gilpin.  I would love to hear from fellow Gilpin researchers!  My direct line is Eli Gilpin & Rebecca Passmore Conn to Nancy Jain Gilpin & Joseph Scott to Mintie Scott and Oliver Smith who were my great-grandparents.

I hope to get back in the swing with my Stephens research soon!

1-Eli Gilpin
b: 1810, Tennessee, USA
d: 16 January 1887, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
+Elvira Hickman
m: 1 February 1864, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
+Rebecca Conn
b: 1795, Kentucky, United States
m: 13 March 1834, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 19 October 1859, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
. . . . 2-James Gilpin
b: 27 March 1834, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
d: 30 April 1902, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
. . . . +Elizabeth Thomas
b: 28 September 1834, TN
m: 27 December 1855, Casey Co, Kentucky
d: 12 December 1909, Jenkins, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Mary Frances Gilpin
b: 31 December 1856, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 1857, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-George Washington Gilpin
b: 2 January 1857, Casey Co, KY
d: 31 January 1940, Casey Co, KY
. . . . . . . . 3-Henry Gilpin
b: 1859
d: 1859
. . . . . . . . 3-Sarah I Gilpin
b: 1860, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Thomas Gilpin
b: 1860, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 1860, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Serrelda Jane Gilpin
b: 6 October 1861, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 7 February 1912, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Myra Ellen Gilpin
b: May 1864, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 20 February 1940, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Henry R Gilpin
b: 21 January 1867, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 5 January 1948, ,Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Mary Frances Gilpin
b: June 1871, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 1910, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-James W Thomas Gilpin
b: 11 February 1873, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 5 February 1952, Casey Co, Kentucky, USA
. . . . 2-William M. Gilpin
b: June 1836, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
d: 24 May 1911, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
. . . . +Margaret Jane Thomas
b: May 1827, Pulaski County, Kentucky, USA
m: 30 March 1856, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
d: 1909, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
. . . . . . . . 3-Francis Marion Gilpin
b: 2 February 1857, Casey Co., Kentucky
d: 2 February 1944, Casey Co., Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-James M Gilpin
b: about 1858, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-Elsey T Gilpin
b: about 1860, Kentucky
d: 1941, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
. . . . . . . . 3-Mary Ellen Gilpin
b: 1864, Kentucky
d: 28 February 1896, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
. . . . . . . . 3-Joseph D Gilpin
b: 1869, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
d: 1871, Casey Co, Kentucky, United States
. . . . 2-Nancy Jain Gilpin
b: 28 July 1841, Kentucky
d: 7 February 1920, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . +Joseph Scott
b: April 1832, Kentucky
m: 12 November 1857, Casey Co, Kentucky, US
d: 5 April 1914, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Rebecca Scott
b: 13 June 1860, Casey Co, Kentucky
d: 16 June 1941, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . +Joseph Yaden
b: 28 November 1856, Kentucky
m: 6 April 1876, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 17 June 1928, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Elender Hettie Yeadon
b: 9 September 1877
d: 14 February 1955, , , Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Hellie E Yeaden
b: 1878, , Russell, Kentucky, USA
d: 1880
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-James Yeaden
b: February 1880, Kentucky
d: 1880
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Josie Yeaden
b: June 1883, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Robert Yeaden
b: March 1886, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Elza Thomas Yeadon
b: 6 June 1888, Kentucky
d: 6 June 1967, Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Nora Yeaden
b: July 1890, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Ellora Reed Yeaden
b: 18 August 1892, Kentucky
d: 30 October 1967, Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Otho T Yeaden
b: October 1894, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Dolley Yeaden
b: September 1896, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-Mary H. Scott
b: 1862, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-Franklin Wolford Scott
b: 1865, Indiana
d: 10 June 1948
. . . . . . . . +Elvira Miller
b: about 1872, Kentucky
m: 28 April 1888, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Maude L Scott
b: about 1892, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Theodore L Scott
b: about 1895, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Othea T Scott
b: about 1898, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Elsie M Scott
b: about 1902, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Willie F Scott
b: about 1907, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Not Named Scott
b: about 1910, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Georgia Scott
b: about 1916
. . . . . . . . 3-William Lycurgus Scott
b: 1868, Indiana
d: 19 April 1942
. . . . . . . . 3-Idelia Meladora Scott
b: 6 June 1871, Kentucky
d: 9 August 1958, Shelbyville, Shelby Co, Indiana
. . . . . . . . +Asa Polston
b: about 1868, Kentucky
m: 17 June 1891, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 4 December 1946, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Balla Polston
b: about 1901, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Omra Polston
b: about 1906, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Orvis R Polston
b: about 1910, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-Mintie Scott
b: 27 November 1875, Font Hill, Russell Co, Kentucky, USA
d: 20 December 1955, Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, United States of America
. . . . . . . . +Oliver Houston Smith
b: 4 February 1872, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
m: 27 September 1896, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 4 May 1950, Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, United States of America
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Clint Smith
b: 18 October 1897, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 6 November 1983, Wilmington, Clinton, Ohio
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Asa Melvin Smith
b: 16 October 1899, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 5 May 1943, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Lester Smith
b: 6 January 1902, Jamestown, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 10 June 1985, Edinburg, Johnson Co, Indiana
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Otis Smith
b: about 1905, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: before 1910, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Floy Smith
b: 18 September 1906, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 27 November 2002, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States of America
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Velbur Smith
b: 22 March 1909, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: November 1982, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Herman Clyde Smith
b: 16 August 1912, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 26 February 1985, Dade City, Pasco, Florida, US
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Erie Smith
b: 18 February 1914, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 14 April 1994, Russell Springs, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Clemmie L Scott
b: 22 January 1877, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 29 February 1964, Vermillion Co, Illinois
. . . . . . . . +Joseph Grant Gosser
b: about 1876, Kentucky
m: 18 November 1897, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Ruel J Gosser
b: August 1899, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-William G Gossar
b: about 1901, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Carrie Gosser
b: about 1904, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Garland Gossar
b: about 1906, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Garland Gosser
b: about 1908, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Dallas M Gossar
b: about 1910, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Flora L Gossar
b: about 1917, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . 3-Milton Jay Durm Scott
b: 3 January 1880, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 9 September 1949
. . . . . . . . +Elora F Wilson
b: about 1880, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-William L Scott
b: about 1905, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Lora O Scott
b: about 1906, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-May O Scott
b: about 1909, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Avary Scott
b: 1 May 1913, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 1 May 1913, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
. . . . . . . . 3-Grover C Scott
b: 17 August 1885, Russell County, Kentucky, USA
d: 31 May 1975
. . . . . . . . +Effie Margaret Anderson
b: about 1887, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Ada P Scott
b: about 1910, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Losier Scott
b: about 1912, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Stella Scott
b: about 1913, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Girthrue Scott
b: about 1916, Kentucky
. . . . . . . . . . . . 4-Narmle Scott
b: about 1919, Kentucky

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Family Friday – Who were the children of Welcome Stephens?

When I first began doing genealogy research years ago, I was excited to find book at my library that had the family trees for several of the families in my line. The Stephens family was one of those. The book had a list of children for Welcome Stephens and I entered them into my genealogy software.

In the recent months that I’ve been doing extensive research on this family, I’ve often questioned whether some of these children actually belong with Welcome Stephens.  Some of the names from the original list I saw appear to be duplicates. I began with this list:  Thomas, Andy, JB, John, Lettie, William, Dudley, Sherwood, Joshua, Polly and Andrew. I believe that Andy and Andrew were probably the same person and JB could be John or Joshua. I have never found a document that lists a J.B. Stephens. So my updated list became: John, Elizabeth, Andrew, Dudley, Joshua, Thomas, Polly, William, Sherwood and Lettie. I have been attempting to follow each of these children through time in order to positively connect them to Welcome Stephens, but I have several questions. Many of these questions come as a result of Welcome’s will and estate settlement. Here’s my transcription of the will:

I Welcome Stephens Russell County and State of Kentucky do hereby make my last Will and Testament in manner & form following that is to say

1^st I desire that my blacksmith tools shall be sold immediately after my decease and out of the monies from all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid.

2^nd after the payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses I give to my beloved wife Nancy Stephens one bed and furniture and for her to give the same to who she pleases at her death and shall have her support in manner hereafter mentioned only she shall have the use of my farm or so much of them she needs for her and John Baily and the kitchen furniture

3^rd I give unto my son Dudley Stephens all the ridge tract of land including the Racoon Springs and the tract on which he now lives included in the deed to me from Thomas Wilson so high up the creek as to take square across the bottom at the lick at the upper end of the old field, to him and his heirs forever also my clock and my five dogs.

4^th I give to my son Andrew Stephens the tract of land where he now lives containing one hundred acres more or less to him and his heirs forever.

5^th I give to my son Joshua Stephens the home tract of land that is including where I now live and the place where he settled at the Lisha[?] place only he shall contribute to my wife before mentioned a reasonable support in the following manner, she shall have choice houses on the land for own self to live in and as much ground as she can tend herself during her life or her widowhood and my sons Dudley Stephens and Joshua Stephens shall contribute to her what she lacks of making in manner before mentioned.

6^th I give to my son Sherwood Stephens the tract of land where he now lives to him his lifetime and to his heirs forever also my bureau

7^th as far as John Ard and the children he had by Elizabeth his first wife my daughter I have given them all that I intend for them to have

8^th, all the rest of my estate both real and personal of what nature or kind so-ever it may be not herein before mentioned and disposed of I desire that it may be equally divided all my children only I want John Baily to have my young mare when he is 21 years old or one that is as good as she makes when he is 21 years of age provided that he continues to conduct himself as well as he has done heretofore and lives at home as he has always done until he is free.

And lastly I hereby appoint Dudley Stephens and Joshua Stephens Executors to this my last will and testament in witness whereof I do hereby set my hand and affix my s—[?] the 14th day of July 1840.

The will was witnessed by George and Aaron Harris. The bond was signed by Simco Popplewell and was dated 12 October 1840.

The estate settlement was dated 12 November 1840 and includes a list of the children dividing the estate. Those who are listed as obtaining items are: Joshua, Sherwood, Dudley, Andrew and Polly. The will mentions that Welcome’s daughter, Elizabeth, was deceased. In the final paragraph of the settlement, it says, “We, the heirs and representatives of Welcome Stephens, deceased, do hereby jointly agree the the personal property of said decedent shall be sold to the highest bidder and the highest shall be the purchaser & that when a copy of the Will shall be obtained & shall be proportioned & we bind ourselves to pay William Stephens his part when called by the Administrators…” signed by Dudley, Andrew, Joshua, Sherod and Polly.

So based on this will and the settlement, I have accounted for 7 of the 10 children who are in my current list of children. I know that William was in Alabama at the time of his father’s death which explains the final paragraph in the settlement. The question then is – Where are John, Thomas and Lettie? Were they really children of Welcome Stephens? If so, why were they not mentioned in the will? William did not arrive in Russell County until after 1860, so distance does not seem to be an issue. When Welcome mentions that he has given his deceased daughter’s family all that he intended to give to them, would he not also list other family members who were to receive no more? I can follow John and Thomas Stephens of Russell County for many years. I do not have a single record that mentions Lettie. I also have no records that connect Joshua to this family other than the will. In the 1860 census, there is a 49 year old Joshua Stephens living with John Bailey in the house next to Andrew Stephens and his wife Elizabeth Perry. Is this proof that this Joshua is Welcome’s Joshua?  I have found no other census records for Joshua Stephens that I feel confident in.

There are dozens of online trees that show all of these children connected to Welcome with dates and spouses for John and Thomas so has everyone else found records that I have not found or is this an example of information that gets passed on and on with no sources?

I would love to correspond with other researchers who are also part of Welcome Stephens’ line!

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Family Friday – Andrew Stephens 1837 – 1920

Andrew Stephens – 1880 – 1920

1880 -  Census – Russell Co, Ky – ED 103   sheet 26

Stephens, Andrew, age 41, farming
Lucy, age 36
William D, age 18
Mary E, age 16
George H, age 14
Cornelius, age 9
Cortez, age 7
Andrew J, age 5
Uriah, age 3
Dock, age 1
Pollie, aunt, age 70  (I believe this is Andrew’s father’s (William) sister.)

1881 -  Birth of Armilda Jane, June.

1890 -  KY Veterans Census – ED 125

Andrew J. Stephens, Private, Company C, 13th KY Cav.  1863-1865 (This is NOT my Andrew. Who else had an Andrew J. Stephens as a son? Potentially the son of Andrew Jackson Stephen and Elizabeth Perry)

1899 -  Marriage of Mary Elizabeth (Stephens) George to John Flanagan.  15 Jan.

1899 -  Guardianship of Ollie B, Lucy J, Luther and Lela “minor children and William George, deceased” (husband of Mary Elizabeth Stephens)
given to A. J. Stephens with Hannibal McBeath, W.D. Stephens and Cornelius Stephens as sureties.  15 June 1899

• Why did guardianship go to the Grandparents instead of to the mother?

1900 -  Guardianship of George Children to John W. Flanagan.  Oct. 24, 1900

1900 -  Census – Russell Co, Ky – ED 158   sheet 11

Stephens, Andrew J, Aug. 1839, age 62, m. 25 yrs, born in Miss, father in S.C.
Lucy, Dec. 1842, age 58, born in Ky.
Uriah, June 1877, age 23, born in Ky.
Dr. Garfield, Mar. 1879, age 21, born in Ky.
Milda J, June 1880, age 19

Where are George, Mary Elizabeth and William?

• William Dudley – in Lucas Mill, RC with wife and 2 kids
• Mary Eliz. – in Jamestown, RC with John Flanagan & 10 kids
• George – in Jamestown, RC with wife, 2 kids and 1 adopted son

@1905- Death of Mary Elizabeth Stephens George Flanagan.

1905 -  Guardianship of George Children to WD Stephens with AJ Stephens as surety.  22 Feb. 1905

1910 – Census – Russell Co, Ky – ED 215   number 192

Stephens, Andrew J, age 72, married 52 yrs, born in Miss, father in Ky.
Lucy, age 67, married 52 yrs, 12 children born, 6 living
George, Luther, grand-son, age 16
George, Leiler, grand-daughter, age 13  (my great-grandmother)

Who are the 6?  Where are the gaps for children who may have died young?

• 6 are:  George, Cornelius, Cortez, AJ, Uriah and Armilda
• 6 additional are:  Nancy E (d. 1861) William Dudley (1909) Mary Eliz. (1905) Dock Garfield (?) plus 2 unknown.
• Perhaps 2 unknown born between 62-63 and 67-69 (based on age gaps)

1920 -  Census – Russell Co, Ky – ED 251  sheet 12

Stephens, Andrew Jackson, age 82, born in Miss, father in Ky.
Lucy, age 76
Nancy Brock, age 53 (servant)

1920 -  Apr. 23 – death of Andrew Jackson Stephens  Buried in Bernard Cemetery

1928 -  June 14 – death of Lucy Stephens  Buried in Bernard Cemetery

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Family Friday – Andrew Stephens 1837 – 1920

Andrew Stephens – 1860 – 1880

Continuing my notes for Andrew Stephens, son of William Stephens.

1860 -  Census – Franklin Co, Alabama – Western Division

William Steavens – age 53, laborer, b. in North Carolina
Dorothy – age 47, b. in South Carolina
Polly A – age 19, b. in Mississippi
Betsy C – age 15, b. in Mississippi
Martha J – age 12, b. in Alabama
John G – age 10, b. in Alabama
James S – age 7, b. in Alabama
Andrew J – age 22, day labor, b. in Mississippi
Lucy – age 18, b. in Kentucky
Nancy E – age 1, b. in Missouri

1861 -  Death of Nancy E. Stephens, 9 June, 1861, Metcalfe Co, Kentucky  (born in Missouri)

1861 -  Birth of William Dudley Stephens, 13 October, 1861, Metcalfe Co, Kentucky

Civil War – I ordered the Pension file for Andrew J. Stephens of Russell County, but I believe the man in this record is a possible cousin of Andrew’s instead.  Where is MY Andrew?

1864 -  Birth of Mary Elizabeth, Sept. 1864, Metcalfe Co, Kentucky

1866 -  Birth of George Howard, 13 May, Kentucky

1870 -  Cannot find census records.

1870 -  Birth of Cornelius, Oct, Kentucky

1873 -  Birth of Cortez, 6 Jan, Kentucky

1875 -  Birth of Andrew Jackson, 10 Mar, Kentucky

1877 -  Birth of Uriah, 13 June, Kentucky

1879 -  Birth of Dock Garfield, March, Kentucky

1880 -  Census – Russell Co, Ky – ED 103   sheet 26

Stephens, Andrew, age 41, farming
Lucy, age 36
William D, age 18
Mary E, age 16
George H, age 14
Cornelius, age 9
Cortez, age 7
Andrew J, age 5
Uriah, age 3
Dock, age 1
Pollie, aunt, age 70

• Not being able to find the 1870 census is frustrating.  Did Andrew fight in the Civil War?  It seems likely, but where?  There is an Andrew J. Stephens from Russell Co. in the war, but his pension file shows that he is not the correct Andrew. Perhaps I should begin looking at the locations of uncles.  On the other hand, they could be near someone Lucy’s family, but I haven’t figured out who is in her line.
• Census records indicate that all of Andrew’s children were born in Kentucky, but I know that at least for a short period of time, Andrew was in Alabama.  With a 20 year gap between census records, it is hard to be certain. Dates of birth for Andrew’s children come from tombstones and/or WWI draft information.
• Andrew’s grandfather, Welcome, appears in area (Adair Co) tax records around 1812. Andrew’s father, William, arrived between 1860 and 1870.  Did William and Andrew come to the area together?  If so, why isn’t Andrew in the census?  Tax records that are available at my library end in 1858.  What other records might indicate the arrive of Andrew?

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Family Friday – Andrew Stephens 1837 – 1920

Lots of snow here in Indiana this week, so I’ve done a ton of genealogy research and totally neglected everything else – including my blog!  I’m deep into research on Welcome Stephens, the father of William Stephens from my previous Family Friday posts.  But my research is not organized in a way that will let me post about it yet, so I’m moving on to William’s son, Andrew.

1837 – 1860

1837 -  Birth of Andrew Jackson Stephens in Mississippi, Aug. 6 – parents: William Stephens and Dorothy Wiggleton

1843 -  Birth of Lucy Stephens, Dec. 16

1849 -  Accd. to 1850 census, 1 year old Martha was born in Mississippi.  (There is no Cooke Co. in Mississippi.  I’m researching Tishomingo Co,  Mississippi.  See William’s notes.)

1850 -  Census – Marion Co, Alabama – District 14

                        William Stephens, age 44, farmer, value 100, b. in North Carolina
                        Dorothy – age 36, b. in South Carolina
                        George W – age 14, b. in Alabama
                        Andrew J – age 12, b. Mississippi
                        Mary Ann – age 8, b. in Mississippi
                        Caroline – age 5, b. in Mississippi
                        Martha J – age 1, b. in Mississippi

1850 -  State Census for Marion County, Alabama

George W, Andrew J – William – William – Mary Ann, Caroline, Martha J – Dorothy
     ages – (@14)       (@13)        (@37)    (@37)        (@8)         (@2)          (@1)        (@35)

1858 -  Marriage of Andrew Jackson Stephens and Lucy Stephens, 5 Apr, 1858 in Ripley Co, Missouri

1859 -  Birth of Nancy E. Stephens, around August.  Birthplace, Missouri.  Ripley Co? 

1860 -  Census – Franklin Co, Alabama – Western Division

                      

                        William Steavens – age 53, laborer, b. in North Carolina 
                        Dorothy – age 47, b. in South Carolina
                        Polly A – age 19, b. in Mississippi
                        Betsy C – age 15, b. in Mississippi
                        Martha J – age 12, b. in Alabama
                        John G – age 10, b. in Alabama
                        James S – age 7, b. in Alabama
                        Andrew J – age 22, day labor, b. in Mississippi
                        Lucy – age 18, b. in Kentucky
                        Nancy E – age 1, b. in Missouri

•  Why did Andrew go from Ripley Co, Missouri to Franklin Co, Alabama to Metcalfe Co, Kentucky within 2-3 years?  Does it have anything to do with Alabama seceding from the Union in 1861?  A peek ahead shows that Andrew and Lucy were in Kentucky by 1861.
• Did Andrew Stephens have family in Missouri?  Is that how he met Lucy Stephens?  Who were Lucy’s parents?

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Family Friday – William Stephens part 3

William Stephens 1813 – 1885

1870 – 1880

William and Dorothy show up in Russell County, Kentucky for the 1870 census.  I will be searching land records for Russell County to see if I can determine more closely when they arrived.  Looking at the index for Russell County deeds between 1860 and 1870, I see one deed for a William Stephens and W.H. Harris in 1870.  The index is organized alphabetically for grantor and grantee, so there is no way of knowing if this William is MY William or if he is buying land or selling it, so I will order this film and see what I can find.  I also looked for marriage records of William’s children in Russell County and the earliest marriage I can find is from 1875, so that doesn’t help me to zero in on a date of arrival for William and family.

1880 – 1885

In 1880, William and his wife Dorothy are still living in Russell County and I believe, are living next door to their son, James and his wife.  I have found an 1876 marriage record for a James Stephens and Louisa Criswell, so while the fact that they are living next door to each other seems to indicate that the marriage record would be a match, I have no direct evidence that James is William’s son.  The census indicates that Joel H. Stephens is living with William and Dorothy and it says he is a grandson, but I cannot find a connection for Joel.  I have been told that this may be Joel Hopper, but again, I don’t know how he could be a grandson.  Another mystery to solve!  I will look at guardianship records to see if there’s an answer there.

 My notes say that William Stephens died in 1885 in Adair County, Kentucky.  I do not know where this information came from as I have no source cited and I cannot confirm at this time.

I have begun to focus my research on William’s father Welcome Stephens and his siblings and have found tax records for Welcome in Adair County for every year back to 1812. It does not appear that he owned any land until 1814, so I will search Adair County deeds around this time period to see what I can discover. 

As I’ve researched further back in Adair County, I have found that William was a very common name in this family line.  Some tax records have nicknames to help tell the men apart.  There’s William (Red Eye – I’d love to know the story there!), William (Preacher) and William (Big Bill) as well as a William whose nickname I cannot decipher (care to make a guess?) all listed in the Adair County tax records for 1819 all living in the same general area. Some of these nicknames show up again in later tax lists as well. None of these William’s can be “my” William as he would have been approximately 9 years old, but I do believe they are all related.

I plan to begin researching the deeds for Adair County to search for clues to how the men are related.  I have confirmed that the Welcome Stephens listed is the correct man by following the land information contained in the tax records.  Which makes me wonder, which is incorrect, William’s date of birth or location of birth?  The date of birth is based on age from census records, so I have to believe that William was born shortly before 1812 and then came to Kentucky with his family.  William’s younger brother, Sherwood, was born around 1815 and census records indicate that he was born in Kentucky, so that agrees with the timeline.  Where exactly was this family in North Carolina and what records can I find for that area? Is it possible that William purchased land in Adair County before moving to the Mississippi/Alabama area?

There are many questions waiting to be answers in my search for William and Dorothy Stephens information, but I do feel like the tax records and deeds will contain hints to help me zero in on appropriate records to search.  SOMEDAY, I will be able to visit Russell County and Adair County to search the original records myself.  THAT would be my genealogy heaven!

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Family Friday – William Stephens part 2

William Stephens:  1813 – 1885

1850 – 1859

In 1850, there are 2 census records for this family.  The Federal Census for Marion Co, Alabama (just across the state line and slightly south of Tishomingo Co) shows William Stephens, age 44, farmer, value 100, b. in North Carolina; Dorothy – age 36, b. in South Carolina; George W – age 14, b. in Alabama; Andrew J – age 12, b. Mississippi; Mary Ann – age 8, b. in Mississippi; Caroline – age 5, b. in Mississippi and Martha J – age 1, b. in Mississippi. 

By 1860, Martha J. is listed as being born in Alabama, but because the birth of Martha would have been relatively new in the 1850 census, I believe Mississippi is correct, which would indicate a move from Mississippi to Alabama around 1849 or 1850. It is important to note that there is a 2^nd William Stephens family in Marion County as well.  In the Federal Census, the names and ages of all children are given.  In the State Census records, only the number of males and females are given.  The “William Stephens” in the State census has a total of 12 people in the household, while “W C Stephens” has 7 members, all of the appropriate age range for “my” William Stephens family. 

John G. Stephens was listed as 10 years old and born in Alabama in the 1860 census, but was not listed in the 1850 census.  I would look for his birth late in the year 1850 in Marion Co, Alabama. It could be helpful to see the instructions to enumerators about the date to use for age calculation.  James S. Stephens was born around 1853.

There was a state census taken in Alabama in 1855.  No census exists for Marion County, but there is one for Franklin Co, where I find William’s family in 1860.  I cannot find William in this census, so I believe the family must have moved between 1855 and 1860.

1860 – 1869

In the 1860 Federal Census, William Stephens and his family are found in Franklin Co, Alabama.  (Franklin Co. is directly North of Marion Co. and directly West of Lawrence Co.)  This was a tricky one to find because of the name being spelled “Steavens”.  William’s five youngest children are still living at home as well as his 2^nd son, Andrew with his wife, Lucy and their daughter Nancy E. who had just come from Missouri.  (Andrew and Lucy were married in Ripley County, Missouri.)  I would love to find George Stephens in the 1860 census, but I have had no luck finding him after the 1850 census.  This family is not found in the 1866 state census for Franklin County or in the 1867 voters’ registration for Franklin OR Marion County.   At some point during this decade, the Stephens family moved to Russell County, Kentucky, where William’s father and siblings had been living since before 1830.  Russell County tax records are pretty consistent as a yearly resource between 1826 and 1858 with only 3 years missing.  Because I know where the family was in 1860, these tax records will not help me.

Next week, I’ll wrap this up and develop my research plan for moving forward in my research.

 

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Family Friday – William Stephens part 1

William Stephens – 1813 – 1885

Birth:

Based on census records, William Stephens was born around 1813 in North Carolina.  His father is widely said to be Welcome Stephens but I have no source for that and I’m unclear on the identity of his mother.  Some researchers have his mother listed as Nancy Bailey, but I cannot confirm that.  The same researchers have a marriage date of 29 Apr, 1830 in Russell Co, Kentucky. 

I have found a marriage record for Welcome Stephens and Nancy Stephens in Russell Co, Kentucky for that date, so I believe that is the source for this information.  I have to wonder if some researchers aren’t jumping to conclusions because the Stephens family eventually appears in Russell Co, but perhaps someone has a source that says Nancy Stephens was previously married and her maiden name was Bailey. That is purely speculation since I have not seen a source. So maybe Nancy Bailey is the correct name, but the Russell County marriage cannot be for William’s parents. At least it cannot be for the mother of Welcome’s children because they were all born before this date. Welcome’s son, William, would have been about 15 years old in 1830 and it seems strange that Welcome would have been in Russell County at this time while William doesn’t show up in Russell County until the 1870 census.  This makes me wonder if this particular Welcome could be related to William, but not his father.  I need to search for available records at the time of Welcome’s death in Russell County to see if any of his children are mentioned.

Marriage – 1839

William was married to Dorothy “Wiggleton” (last name not confirmed) around 1835, most likely in Alabama or Mississippi.  In the 1850 census, the oldest child – George W – is listed as being born around 1836 in Alabama, which is why I have chosen 1835 as a likely marriage date.   There may have been an older daughter – based on a possible 1840 census from Tishomingo Co, Mississippi – but she does not appear with the family in the 1850 census.  If there is an older daughter, then my approximation for a marriage date could be off by a couple of years.

According to the FHL research guide for Alabama, before statewide registration of marriages began in 1936, the clerk of the probate court in each county issued licenses and recorded marriages, usually within 10 years of the creation of the county.  Marion County was established in 1818, so I should do a search for these records.  I should not limit my search to Marion County only.  I chose Marion County because I know this family resided there in 1850, but they also lived in Mississippi before 1850.  There are clues that he may have lived in Tishomingo Co, Mississippi, but Tishomingo County was not established until 1836, so I don’t believe they were married there. (Note:  I have since discovered that a fire at the Marion County courthouse in 1866 and again in 1883 may have destroyed all vital records.)

Following clues in the 1850 census, I know that William’s family was located in Alabama and Mississippi during the early years of their marriage.  The oldest child, George, was born in Alabama around 1836, but the 2^nd child, Andrew J, was born in Mississippi by 1837.  Looking for likely census matches based on this information lead me to possible matches in Marion Co, Alabama; Franklin Co, Alabama; and Tishomingo Co, Mississippi between 1840 and 1860.  (As a side note, many public family trees have Andrew’s place of birth as Cooke Co, Mississippi.  There is no Cooke County in Mississippi and as far I can find there never was.)

If I can determine if George or Andrew served in the Civil War, I may be able to find a more exact date of birth or location.  I have lost track of George after the 1850 census, but I haven’t really spent time looking for him either.  At one time, I thought I had found the pension file for Andrew, but it turned out to be the wrong man (but ironically, still part of my family tree).  Since then I have discovered Andrew’s marriage record in Ripley County, Missouri in 1858 and I know Andrew, his wife and daughter lived with William’s family in Franklin Co, Alabama for the 1860 census.  I have found  that Andrew’s daughter died in Metcalfe Co, Kentucky in 1861.  A son and daughter were also born in Metcalfe Co in 1861 and 1864, so there are several options for locations where Andrew may have entered the military.  He could have fought for the North or the South but Andrew Stephens is a common name, so I have had no luck so far.

I have found three 1839 land grants for William Stephens in Marion County, Alabama.  All three grants were written on the same day, but 2 of them were written for “William Stephens of Marion County” and 1 was written for “William Stephens of Lawrence County”.  During my research, I have found that there was a 2^nd William Stephens in Marion Co, Alabama around this same time.  He was approximately 6 years older than “my” William and was also born in North Carolina.  They both lived in District 14 of Marion County in the 1850 census, so I’m not sure how to distinguish if the land grants belong to the man I am researching or not.  I don’t know how to determine where District 14  is in Marion County and but that could be helpful.  There is also a William Stephens in Lawrence County in the 1840 census who is about 6 years younger than “my” William.   To help keep these men straight in my mind, I am going to number them.  “My” William will be William(1).  The older “Marion Co. William” will be William(2).  Lawrence County William will be William(3).

I decided to compare the land grants that I had found on
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch
 with plat maps I had found in the book Family Maps of Marion County, Alabama by Gregory A. Boyd.  I matched the land grants with the correct locations on the map and I suspect that the all of the land parcels belonged to the same man. The 3 land grants from 1839 (shown in blue) were all dated 1 Aug, 1839 and the certificates are numbered 98, 99 and 100.  Two of the grants are written to “William Stevens, of Marion County, Alabama” and 1 of them is written to “William Stevens, of Lawrence County, Alabama”.  It seems quite likely that because the certificates are sequential and are all on the same date, they would belong to the same man.  It also seems more likely that land being granted in Marion County would have accidentally been written to “William of Marion County” than to accidentally write “William of Lawrence Co.”  Two of the parcels of land are in the same section on the township.  Later, in 1858, another grant is given to “William Stephens of Marion County”.  This grant describes 3 parcels of land, (shown in orange) one of which is exactly between 2 of the parcels given in 1839.  To me, that makes it most likely that it belongs to the the same William who was granted land in 1839.  

William(2) can be found in the Marion County census records in 1850 and 1860 as well as a likely match in 1840, so based on that information, it seems all of the land could belong to William(2).  Because of the “Lawrence Co” wrinkle, I have to wonder if all of the land belongs to William(3)however William(3) is living in Itawamba County for the 1850 and 1860 census so I’m not sure if this makes sense.  Itawamba County is just west of Marion county, but would that be a significant distance in 1850?  “My” William(1) seems to be the least likely choice because he seems to be found in Tishomingo Co, Mississippi in 1840; Marion Co, Alabama in 1850 and Franklin Co, Alabama in 1860. However, these 3 counties are all in the same general area, so I cannot completely rule him out.

I need to do more research on what records are available (if any) when a man applied for a land grant.  Land records are new for me and while I’ve done quite a bit of research using deeds from Russell County, Kentucky, I know nothing about the process for receiving a land grant.

This part of William and Nancy’s life is full of questions and guessing based on information in the 1850 and 1860 census.  Part 2 will have a little more that is certain.

Questions to research:

• When and where was William born?  Confirm parents.
• When and where did William get married? What was his wife’s maiden name? What records might tell me this?
• Was there a daughter that was older than George?
• Do the Land Grants that I have belong to “my” William Stephens?

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