Lessie Jordan Baucom holding Illa Jordan. Not sure where the photo was taken. Probably 1927 in Tenn?
Photo above: Lennie Lee Thornton Jordan, mother of Lessie O. Jordan Baucom with her brother, Al Thornton. Everyone called her Granny. She died in November of 1961.
The photo of Lennie was taken in the yard of Comer & Lessie's home in Birmingham, AL, in the Germania Park neighborhood of the West End community. The home was the former orphanage known as the Lula May Foster Home for Boys.
Mornings in april
Sharing the secrets
We'd walk until the morning was gone
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me
Lives on and on
'Cause I know you by heart
Any person can post whatever genealogical information that want to at almost all websites. No one checks them so you have to go to source documents yourself to verify all findings. And I have been told by fellow researchers that they have found professional researchers who have made big errors, perhaps to satisfy a client or they were just lazy and said, “what the hell” the names match.
[Editos nite: This happened to our family records in the current generation because a mentally unstable woman posted in genealogy forums that her great grandmother was Lessie Jordan Baucom when that was completely false.]
The LDS website is a great example of misinformation but a wonderful site to get a starting place. And they state that there information is not verified. I had a pretty good idea that my Baucoms were of English extraction before I contacted Banks McLaurin in Dallas, TX about the Baucoms. He had done a lot more for a longer period of time than I had.
We both had traced our line back to Wake, Co., NC to John Baucom and his father Nicholas. We had both found that Nicholas and his wife Mary had John baptized in Baltimore, MD in 1725 at St. Georges Parish, an Anglican Church. We agreed that having the baptism done in an Anglican Church was a big clue to Nicholas being English.
We both had read in The History of Deleware: 1609- 1888, volume 2 by John Thomas Scharf a write up on a Peter Baucom who lived in Delaware and Maryland in the 1600s. He participated in many land transactions and was named sheriff of Kent Co., DE. And I got my hopes up high that he was Nicholas’ father, but Peter’s will named only a daughter and wife. He still could have been his father, having given him property in MD before his death. Or perhaps he was an uncle or maybe no connection at all. By the way, Banks and I were both college trained engineers. Now that does not make us smarter than anyone else but we are trained to not take anything for granted. Always challenge any idea to see if it seems logical and try to prove it for yourself.
One day soon after I found the google website I put in Baucom TN history, just for kicks and out popped:
http://www.tngenweb.org/haywood/goodspeed/b-gdsp.htm
I had read some of his work on another line of my ancestors so I knew of Goodspeed’s Tennessee history work. He had written a short piece about J, F. Baucom of Haywood Co, TN. Here is part of the article:
“J. F. BAUCOM, citizen and farmer of the Tenth District, was born in Maury County, Tenn., August 30, 1826, being one of six children born to Brittain and Elizabeth Baucom. The father was of English origin, born in Rockingham County, N. C., in 1796, and moved to Tennessee in 1814, locating in East Tennessee, but two years later moved to Maury County, and in 1829 to Illinois, where he engaged in farming and died in 1831. The mother was a Miss BARKER, born in Caswell County, N. C., in 1798, and died in 1874.”
It goes on to tell of the family J. F. and his accomplishments in Haywood County. Notice that it stated that Brittain was of English origin. And we know that his father Brittain Sr. and 10 other children were named in the will of John Baucom, Sr who died about 1800. And if you stop to think about it, who, but a person of English origin would name a son Brittain. Could John Sr. have done this to announce to others around him that he was of English origin? I was satisfied that my line of Baucoms were English and probably from the region of Baucombe, England as Banks had speculated.
So I was surprised when one day I returned to the Baucom name at the Genforum website and saw the discussion about whether our line was German or English and the story about the Von Baucoms coming from Germany and one of them being an ancestor of our Nichols. I knew that Nicholas had to be English because of the foregoing information. And John Sr. or his father Nicholas never named any children Otto or Herman, or Heidi or Hilda, nor did they belong to a Lutheran or Roman Catholic Church. Therefore I immediately dismissed the ideal of a German connection.
And then one day I came across some work by a Sandra Vossler on the Genforum Baucom website. She is a true researcher who leaves no stone unturned. Her early work can be seen at:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdannear/firstfam/baucom.htm
Check it out. So when Sandra started trying to verify the Von Baucom story she found out that it could not be proven. The following is what she sent to me in an email:
Did you know Marietta Cowan is doing an update of Banks McLaurin's book? I don't have her e-mail address listed on this email but you can find her easy enough, she is on the Baucom GenForum all the time. The last time I checked she had no further information on Nicholas either.
I have a copy of the "Upchurch Family of Enlgand, Virginia and North Carolina". On pages 90-92 they have the Von Baucom theory. The only problem is, what little siting they do I can not find. They list two ships that the Baucoms were suppose to have owned and came over here on, the "Faterland" and the "Brigantine" but I can not find where these ships existed. They say Nicholas was only married once, to Sarah, and that John is Sarah's son. Which they would if they have no records for Maryland, as that is where John was born to Nicholas and Mary. But they do not have him anywhere near St. George Parish Maryland. They have him coming from Prusia to Manhattan, Philadelphia (PA), then right to North Carolina. Which I can find no proff of the Manhattan or PA period. They report "unfortunately a large collection of information of the Von Bakum (Baucom) family of East Prussia was lost some years ago."
If it was lost, how did they supposidly come up with it? I find the Jacob Leedertsen Van de Grist family they mention that was suppose to be "in-laws" of the Von Bakum (Baucom) family, but find no mention of a Baucom in that family. They say Susannah Van de Grist married Johan Von Bakum, but all the Van de Grist records I can find does not show Susannah marrying a Von Bakum and some don't show a Susannah as a daughter at all. So I just have a hard time with this theory, not to say it is not true, I just can't come up with any information to back it up at this time.
Well, I got to go check on mom. Hope to hear from you again.
Good luck with your genealogy,
Sandra
And just recently she wrote me a letter:
Edited Letter from Sandra Vossler PO Box 314 Kimball, NB 69145 8-24-09
Dear Jim-
My line is through Nicholas and his second wife, Sarah Lee, so I don’t have a lot on John Baucom Sr.
John Baucom’s father, Nicholas Baucom was not German. That is a story going around that says Nicholas was related to a one Jaochim Eric Mailian Von Baucom, and other Von Baucom “stories” with a story of the Heidelberg Military Accadamy in 1705. I wrote to the University at Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany twice. According to a reply from Mr. I.V. Hunerlach, Archeiamtfrau, “There is not and never has been a Heidelberg Military Academy. The registry of the University of Heidelberg for the period between 1662 and 1704 isn’t saved. The name von Baucom couldn’t be found in the printed registrar of the University of Heidelberg. There is a story of the Baucoms coming over here from Germany on the ships called the “Brigantine” and “Fatherland.” No one in Germany or in the USA can find either one of those ships. So- to me anyway, this German and von Baucom story is just that- a story with no foundation to it.
My connection to the Baucoms:
Sandra (me), Albert Caves my grandfather, his parents Maggie Sarah Lee Baucom and John Wright Caves, Moses Baucom Jr., Moses Baucom, Sr., Nicholas Baucom Jr. and Nicholas Baucom Sr. and second wife Sarah Lee.
Grandma Maggie helped raise me. She said the Baucoms are Irish and English and mostly English up to Moses Sr., then from Moses Sr. add in Cherokee. She said her daddy only mentioned the Irish a couple of times- mostly he just said English and Cherokee.
Sandra Vossler
Note: her letter goes onto list the children of Nicholas Sr. and Sarah. And there is some discussion about Nicholas Sr. and Mary his first wife who were the parents of John, my line.
Finally, I have had my DNA tested and match up almost perfectly with descendants of two different sons of Josiah Baucom, a brother to my Cader Baucom. Another one of their brothers, was John Jr. He supposedly had a son named Isham. A descendant of Isham had his DNA tested and was no match to me or Josiah’s descendants. That means that Isham was a son of a different John Baucom or that an adoption or hanky panky took place. I am looking for other Baucom descendants that would get their DNA tested. So far there are at least 3 different Baucom lines that have been identified, maybe at least one of them go back to the New England Balcoms, of which there were many.
Comments please!
Jim Baucom
7379 S. Eudora Ct.
Centennial, CO 80122
Descendants of Nicholas Baucom, Sr. [256]
For my cousins who are not familiar with our early Baucoms
1 Nicholas Baucom, Sr. [256] b: Abt. 1700
.. +Mary ???, [257]
.... 2 John Baucom, Sr., [128] b: Jul 01, 1725 in Baltimore, MD
........ +Rachel Barker, [129] b: Abt. 1735
3 Cader Baucom (my line)
3 Josiah Baucom
3 John Baucom, Jr.
*2nd Wife of Nicholas Baucom, Sr. [256]:
.. +Sarah Lee
.... 2 Thomas Baucom b: Bef. 1743 all children born in NC
........ +Keziah Hardcastle
.... 2 Nicholas Baucom, Jr. b: Abt. 1748
........ +Dollie ???
.... 2 Jacob Baucom
.... 2 Moses Baucom
.... 2 Aaron Baucom
.... 2 Susannah Baucom
.... 2 Ann Baucom
.... 2 Ester Baucom
All of this work is from my cousin, Jim Baucom. I'm sure you'll agree that he had done a wonderful job. My apologies that some of the family tree images are missing. As time allows I'll try and go back and fill those in. You can contact Jim to discuss genealogy by email. Jim400 [@] aol.com. I know he'd love to hear from you! (Remove brackets.)
Bennie’s
well documented lines will be presented in two main parts, that of her mother
Mary Augusta Bolton and that of her father William Carnes Hall. Furthermore,
each of their lines will be presented in two parts. These four branches truly
define her tree. Mary’s line, almost totally English, starts with my first
known ancestors to arrive in America, Matthew Howard, who arrived in VA by 1637
and Edward Dorsey who arrived in VA by 1647 and both relocated to Anne Arundel
Co. MD. The other main branch of her tree is the Bolton line that starts in VA
and goes to Columbia Co., GA which is where the MD contingent located and from
GA to all parts of the USA.
Part 2 of
Bennie’s Hall Line traces her father, William Carnes Hall’s, line which were
almost all Scots or Scots Irish, who arrived in the early 1700’s in the region
where Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey are within a few miles from
each other. Then they moved to Iredell Co. and Rowan Co. NC around 1750, and
about 1835 to Tipton Co. in west TN to where more Scots from another portion of
NC had come. The marriage of these two lines of Scots produced William Hall.
About1870 Mary Bolton’s father was transferred to Memphis and the rest is
history, but they did not live happily ever after. My plan is to present a descendancy chart for
the main line, then at each generation show ancestors of the spouse of the
person who represents the main branch of the tree. If there is something known
of significance known it will be presented.
PART 1 The HOWARD LINE (My first ancestor in
America)
I
have a copy of Harry Wright Newman’s book ANNE ARUNDEL GENTRY (volume two) that
features Matthew Howard and Edward Dorsey, and their descendants along with
several other families. It traces Mary’s Howard line to GA to where she married
Matthew Bolton’s son Thomas Chapman. Two
other sources were used to complement Harry’s book:
For those
interested only in genealogy and very little history or background information
the following pages provide that information constructed around her first known
ancestor Matthew Howard.
Next the
genealogy is repeated with more information about the people.
BENNIE
ELIZA HALL’S MOTHER, MARY AUGUSTA BOLTON’S ANCESTORS
1 Matthew
Howard, (Sr), [2912] d: Abt.
1659 MD b: Abt. 1609 in England
+Anne Hall, [2913] b: Abt. 1615
2 Matthew
Howard, Jr., [1456] d: Abt. 1691 Anne Arundel Co., MD b: Abt. 1640 in Norfolk
Co., VA
.....+Sarah
Dorsey/D'arcy, [1457] b:
in VA?
3 John
Howard, [728] d: Dec 06, 1702 Anne Arundel Co., MD b: Abt. 1667 in Anne Arundel
Co., MD
.....+Susannah
Rockhold, [729] d: Aft. 1703 b: Abt. 1670 in Anne Arundel Co., MD
4 Lemuel Howard, (1), [364] d: May 17, 1759
Balt.Co., MD b: Abt. 1694 in Anne Arundel Co., MD
.....+Estell
Baucom, [004] d: Feb 23,
1987, Birmingham, AL b: Oct 07, 1887
Coffee Co, Baucom TN
NOTE:
His line covered in separate section.
Next is
detailed information
1 Matthew
Howard, (Sr), [2912] b: England d: Abt. 1659 MD
....m
in England, Anne Hall, [2913] Daughter of Richard Hall [5826]
2 Son Matthew Howard,
(Jr.)
It
has been suggested by some researchers that Matthew Howard was a descendant of
the noble Howard family of England, but
never proven. Records show that Matthew brought his wife, Ann, two man servants
and no children from England and in Norfolk Co., VA by 1637/8. By 1648 he was
the father of six children and named executor of Richard Hall’s estate leaving
various items to the Howard children and to Matthew. On 15 NOV 1650 Robert
Clark, Surveyor General of the Province laid out a parcel of land (650 acres) in Anne
Arundel County, MD for Matthew Howard. When he died about 1659 records show
that he had 8 children.
2 Matthew Howard, Jr., [1456] b: Abt. 1640 Norfolk Co., VA d: Abt. 1691 Anne Arundel Co., MD
The son of
Matthew Howard Sr. and Anne Hall
....m. in MD
Sarah Dorsey/D'arcy, [1457] b: VA?
Daughter of Edward Dorsey and Anne.
3 Son John Howard
Sarah’s
father, Edward Dorsey, like Matthew Howard, had come from England to Norfolk
Co., VA by 7 OCT 1646. He married Anne in VA and soon moved to Anne Arundel
Co., Md. He was a boatright as well as a plantation owner. Edward and Anne
converted to the Quaker doctrine after moving to MD. Court records state that
he drowned in a boating accident along with others in the summer of 1659 off of
the Isle of Kent. Thomas Hynson retrieved the boat for himself. It has been
said that Dorsey’s widow claimed that the boat under the ancient deodand law of
England. Research has not proven this assertion.
Matthew Jr.
and Sarah’s family consisted of three sons and a daughter. On 3 OCT 1691 he
drew up his will which was probated 12 JAN 1692.
To son John Howard “Howard’s First Choice”
commonly called “Howard’s Quarter Plantation”of 100 acres, one half of “The
Adventure” of 250 acres and one half of “Poplar Plain.”
To son Matthew the residue of “Poplar Plain”
and “The Adventure” “Hopkin’s Plantation” and “Howard’s Addition” of 22 ½
acres.
To Daughter Sarah Worthington “Howard’s
Range” of 276 acres, “Howard’s Pasture” of 200 acres on the south side of the
Magothy and 130 acres of the unnamed dwelling-plantation.
To son ( did he mean son-in-law?) John
Worthington and grandsons John Worthington, John Howard and Matthew Howard personalty.
To brothers John Howard, Samuel Howard and
Philip Howard and their wives personalty.
Residual
estate to son Matthew and daughter Sarah Worthington
Excecutors –
Daughter Sarah Worthington and her husband.
The
inventory of Matthew’s personal estate included one negro slave and one white
servant man.
Note: This
was copied as printed in the book. The third son, Samuel Howard had died before
the will was written.
3 John Howard, [728] b: Anne Arundel Co., MD d: Dec 06, 1702 Anne Arundel Co., MD
Three months
after John died in 1702 Susannah married William Crouch, she was bequeathed 5
pounds in the will of her mother, Mary Rockhould in 1703/4. Then after William
Crouch died in 1709 the widow married her third husband, James Smith 4 May
1710.
Her grandparents, Robert Rockhould Sr. [2916] and his wife
Sarah Greniffe [2917] were from Holland where he was a gun smith. Everyone else
on this chart were English.
The book
states that John was a very wealthy, merchant, an owner of three plantations,
two white boy servants, and at least 16 negro slaves and their children. John’s
children were all not yet adults when he died. No mention was made at this
point about how his estate was distributed.
4 Lemuel Howard, (1), [364] b: Abt. 1694 Anne
Arundel Co., MD d: May 17, 1759
Baltimore Co., MD
The
son of John Howard and Susannah Rockhould
m2 11 JAN 1729/30, Ann Ward,
Mrs., [365] d: Jun 26, 1777 (NO known ancestors)
5 Son Lemuel Howard (2)
Lemuel (1)
was born in St Margaret’s Westminster Parish His first wife was Katherine who
was the daughter of John and Ruth Greeniffe, who was likewise the stepdaughter
of his brother John Howard. They had one
son John Greeniffe Howard and Katherine died, and on 11 JAN 1730 Lemuel married
the widow, Anne Ward. Since his father
made no will Lemuel received none of his father’s landed estate so he left his
childhood home early to live in nearby Baltimore Co., MD.
While Katherine
was married to Edward Ward he purchased the Platation, “Fortune,” lying in
Baltimore Co. When Edward died, Anne inherited the plantation as their only
child Carmilla, had died without issue. Lemuel and Anne sold that plantation 9
JAN 1745 for 110 pounds. Lemuel had acquired “Hobb’s Choice” 100 acres in 1772
by indenture from Benjamin Tasker. And Catherine had inherited another 500
acres in Anne Arundel Co. from her father. Lemuel’s will dated 22 MAY 1758 was
admitted to probate in Baltimore Co. 6 JUN 1759 which stated:
To John Greeniffe Howard 20 shillings
To Benjamin Howard, Negroes
To Lemuel Howard, Negroes and personalty
To daughter Susannah Dutton, personalty
To wife Anne, the residue of the estate
during life or widowhood, then to be divided between the two sons, Benjamin to
have the piece of land on which he is now living while Lemuel was to have the
other portion. Later on, when Harford Co. was created out of Baltimore Co.,
much of land belonging to Lemuel’s descendants fell into the new county.
.5 Lemuel
Howard, (2), [182] b: 28 DEC 1736
Baltimore Co., MD d: Bef. 1802 Columbia
Co., GA
Son
of Lemuel Howard and Mrs. Anne Ward
m 7 DEC 1760, Martha Scott, [183] d: 1802 Columbia Co., GA
6 Daughter
Anne Howard
The
Ancestors of Martha Scott
Between 1796
and 1801 Lemuel Howard, wife Martha Scott and their children relocated to
Columbia Co., GA This included their daughter Anne who had married Benjamin
Smithson 24 DEC 1792 in Harford Co., MD. In the library at Columbia Co., GA was
found the following information: Lemuel had died in GA and named his wife
Martha and some of his children as heirs.
Some time after 22 JAN 1802 the widow Martha Scott Howard died and in
her will one of her heirs was a son in law Benjamin Smithson. His wife, Ann
Howard Smithson had died 22 JAN 1802
( info from
Chris Smithson).
6 Anne Howard, [091] b: 1769 MD d: Jan 22, 1802 Columbia Co., GA
Daughter of
Lemuel Howard (2) and Anne Ward
m 24 DEC
1792 in MD Benjamin Smithson, [090] b: Baltimore Co., MD d: Bef. 2 JAN 1809
Col., Co., GA
7 Daughter Martha Scott Smithson
Benjamin’s
ancestors presented in three segments in order to fit on standard size page.
Segment 1
Segment 2
NOTE: Ann
Scott is the sister of Daniel Scott Jr.
Segment 3
As noted
earlier, Anne Howard Smithson died young when her daughter was only 6 years of
age. On 15 AUG 1805 Benjamin Smithson married the widow, Hannah Greathouse who
became Widow Smithson when Benjamin died
before 2 JAN 1809. Hanna died in 1860 at the age of 90+ years.
This
concludes PART 1 of reporting the line of Bennie’s mother, Mary Augusta Bolton,
Hall. Other than verifying a couple facts in the Columbia Co., GA Library, I
have copied the works of others. I was very lucky to have found such a complete
history of the Howard line and those who were the ancestors of each spouse and
thanks to Christopher Smithson for his detailed information on Benjamin’s
ancestors. Edward Dorsey was a boat
maker, others were plantation owners or farmers .
PART 2 THE
BOLTON LINE OF BENNIE’S MOTHER, MARY AUGUSTA BOLTON HALL
Other than
my Baucom line, I have spent more time and have gotten more enjoyment
researching the ancestors Thomas Chapman Bolton, which continues until now and
shows no sign of stopping any time soon. Staring with family knowledge, then
census records, I worked my way back Matthew Bolton’s Revolutionary War
information printed in a book of Georgia veterans before getting the MD branch.
After that I made contact with other Bolton researchers and exchanged data.
Thank you
all. It started with Retha Shiplett who was the leader of Bolton Reunions held
annually in TN. I attended two of them. Then a lady in Texas, Ruby Mae Bolton
Jones and I exchanged data on the internet. She told me of her cousin Bill
Bolton in Huntsville, AL who had a passing interest in their line. I visited
him in Huntsville once while on a business trip and lost contact with him.
During this same period, Adele Mullins in Jackson MS and I exchanged data. I
spent a few hours at her home in MS while on another trip to AL. She put me in
contact with Eldon Eason in TX. All of these people are descendants of Matthew
Bolton and Mary Chapman, except Retha who is a cousin from a different person.
In the past few months Bill and I have reestablished contact and we are delving
deeper in to our VA Bolton connection. Every so often we discover a new record
that pertains to our Boltons, but I continue to find misinformation that people
have posted where they combine different Boltons together just because they
have the same given names.
Repeating
the end of the MD connection:
7 Martha
Scott Smithson, [045] b 22 JAN 1796, Harford Co. MD d. 26 FEB 1859 Conyers, GA
m 23 DEC 1818 Columbia, Co., GA Thomas Chapman
Bolton, [044] b 28 FEB 1798 Columbia, Co., GA d 1862 GA who was the son of
Matthew Bolton and Mary Chapman.
Martha, born
in MD, came with her family to GA between 1796 and 1800. Thomas was born in GA
in 1798. His father, Matthew Bolton, had come from VA to GA sometime between
about 1786 and 1794, depending which source you care to believe.
Starting in
1850 all US census listed the name, age, birth location, and occupation
everyone in a family..
Anderson
District of DeKalb Co., GA
Thomas C.
Bolton 52 GA Farmer my NOTES
Martha S. 54 MD
Matthew L. 24 GA Mechanic m. Amanda Mann16 JAN 1856 Newton Co.,
GA|
Andrew J.* 20 GA Mechanic m. Elviora Stubbs 24 DEC 1856 “
Samuel J.** 15 GA
Student m. Ellen J. Sparks 10JAN 1858
Thomas A. 11 GA Student
Nancy A. 17 GA Student
Other
children not living with them:
Henry
Hillman 30
Benjamin N.*** 22 m
Elizabeth Rhodes 26 JAN 1854
Mary Chapman 27 m.
Thomas Hendry 1837
James
Matthew 26
* Andrew is
a Railroad Agent in 1860 Madison Co.
(Huntsville, AL) census. P. 194
** Samuel is
a Carpenter for the Railroad in 1860 Madison Co. (Huntsville) AL census p.195
*** Ben is a
Carpenter in 1860 Newton Co., GA census
I will come
back to the descendants of Thomas Chapman Bolton and Martha Scott Smithson
(Bennie’s line) after presenting what I have found on Thomas’ ancestors.
THE SEARCH STARTS HERE FOR PARENTS 0F MATTHEW BOLTON rws
We, who are descendants of Matthew Bolton and Mary Chapman, have
the good fortune of finding information on him, his wife, when they were
married and even their children and each child’s spouse. This data covers the period
of 1763 to roughly 1836.
GA SOURCE 1 ROSTER OF REV. WAR SOLDIERS IN GA VOLIII p30&31
MATTHEW BOLTON b. in Va. About 1760; d. 1824, Columbia Co., Ga.
Served in the Va. Line. His widow drew land in Warren Co., GA in 1827 for his
services. Married Mar. 26, 1788, Mary Chapman.
Children:
1. Martha mar. James Mappin
2. Mary mar. Willis Roberts
3.Robert mar. Lydia________
4. Thomas mar Martha Smithson
5.Samuel mar. Jane Phelps
6. Elizabeth mar (1) H. T.
Wade (2) Joseph Elliott
7 Nancy P. mar. Robert Markes
8 John T.
9. Millie (1812-1813)
10. Elisha P. mar. Elijah
Burbridge (crossed out in my copy and written by hand was Eliza).
It is extremely important to understand how this data came to be
compiled, as you will see later. There is only one way that this information
could have been placed in a record. None of it was available until long after
his discharge. Obviously the information came from Mary and her Children after
Matthew had died in 1824, each time one of them applied for veteran’s benefits,
aka, GA land lotteries. this data was sent to the government, then Matthew’s
service was verified and that person became eligible for the lottery. Only she
would know that her maiden name was Chapman, her birthday and the day she was
married. Record show that those who drew land were: Matthew’s wife Mary Chapman
Bolton and sons Robert Bolton and Elisha P. Bolton. It is assumed that Matthew
came to GA was to claim his veteran’s land.
GA SOURCE 2
Matthew’s First recorded land transaction in GA
On page 46 of Early Deeds, ETC, Columbia County Georgia (copied
at the Augusta Public Library
s/ Feb, 13th , 1797,
r/ Apr. 28th 1797 Nathan Benton to Matthew Bolton, for 20
pounds, 100 acres on Upton creek, granted to John Towns.
GA SORRCE 3
Matthew’s Obituary Georgia Marriages and Deaths 1820-1830 (copied at Augusta Public Library)
BOLTON, Matthew 62y d. 9-4-1824 at his residence near Wrightsboro,
Columbia Co. Ga. b. Henry Co. Va., moved
to GA 30 years ago and resided in Columbia Co. Served in the Revolutionary War
and was at the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. MZM 9 27 1824
Now we know what region of VA that Matthew was born. Since Henry
Co. was
established in 1777 when it was carved from Pittsylvania Co., VA the
family knew that his birth location was in that part Pittsylvania Co that
became Henry Co.
As shown in the following paragraphs there are different opinions
on when he came to GA. Using the obituary, it would have been about 1794, his
land purchase absolutely proves he was there by 1797 and his son, my ancestor,
Thomas Chapman Bolton, lived long enough to be in the 1850 GA census and he
states that he was born in GA in 1798
GA SOURCE 4
DAR application of Jean McDaniel Black, a descendant of Matthew
and Mary’s daughter Elizabeth who stated that an Aunt’s family Bible yielded
the following information:
Matthew and Mary actually married in Columbia Co. GA 26 MAR 1788
and that Mary Chapman was born in GA. Also stated was that Matthew was born at
Lynchburg, VA. This places Matthew in GA about 8-10 years ahead of his obituary
date.
CHILDREN dob
Martha 25 FEB 1789
Mary 28
JAN 1792
Robert 22 MAR 1795
Thomas 27 FEB 1798
Elizabeth 13 MAR 1802
Nancy 23 MAY 1804
John 5 DEC 1806
Elisha 4 JUL
1809
Milly 13 NOV
1812 died early
GA SOURCE 5
A descendant of Elisha P. Bolton, Matthew’s and Mary’s youngest
son states in one of her records that Elisha and all of his siblings were born
in GA, but nothing on where Matthew and Mary were married.
GA SOURCE 6 GA LAND LOTTERIES
1827 GEORGIA LAND LOTTERY, Columbia County
Residents, sorted by last name
Source: "Reprint of Official Register of Land
Lottery of Georgia
1827," Compiled and Published by Miss Martha
Lou Houston, Columbus, Georgia,
printed by Walton-Forbes Company, Columbus, Georgia
1928.
Name Residence Dist.
Capt County of Draw
Bolton, Elisha
orphan Columbia County Clarks Carroll County
Bolton, Robert Columbia County Boltons Troup County
jeb
Note: Elisha b. Jul 04, 1809 = 18/19 in
1827 which classified him as an orphan.
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/1832.htm
NO. Name Dist,
County
157 Mary Bolton, w. r. s., Parham’s, Warren.
Mary was living with a married daughter.
NOTE: Sources 4 and 5 claim all their children born in GA while
the obituary has them is GA after at least two children were born. I tend to trust
the obit, since the data was most likely provided by Matthew’s wife Mary and
sources 4 and 5 are handed down data.
OTHER NON-RELATED BOLTONS
IN EARLY GA
Before presenting the VA information on Matthew and Mary there
several GA items that need clarification:
1.Some researchers and historians have mixed our Bolton line with
that of a Robert Bolton who on 7 FEB 1775 was granted 550 acres in St. Paul
Parish, GA by the crown of England, this region later became Columbia Co. This
Robert had come from England to PA and then to Savannah, GA and was no
immediate kin to Matthew. Some writer in the Atlanta newspaper printed that
this was location of the remains of Matthew’s cabin. So either that is not
Matthew’s cabin or else it is not part of the 550 acre grant.
2. Nov. 1810, passports were issued
by the Governors of Georgia to: Thomas C. Bolton and to Nathaniel Bolton with
wife and seven children of Edgefield Co. SC to travel through the Creek Nation
of Indians. Not our Thomas who was 12 in 1810.
3. Another Matthew Bolton came to GA from NC in the early 1800’s.
There are a few posting that mix his family in with ours. As explained later,
this is a proven different line.
THE VA ANCESTORS OF MATTHEW BOLTON Revolutionary War Soldier (rws)
AND HIS WIFE MARY CHAPMAN
More time and much travel have been spent Matthew’s ancestors than
other genealogy research, except my Baucom Y-DNA research program. The absolute
results are zero, there has been a great deal of speculation on Matthew’s line
and very little speculation on Mary’s line. It has been a most enjoyable effort
and many very nice and interesting people were met in person or via email along
the way. Although the proven identity of Matthew’s parents is impossible it is
a proven fact that his line is the same as that of Thomas Bolton, whose line
has been traced to a Robert Bolton b. VA 1706 by DNA.
It is 2013, we now know the these four men have almost identical Y
DNA
William (Bill) Ray Bolton
anc. = Samuel son of Matthew & Mary Chapman
A Louisiana Bolton anc. =
Elisha P. son of Matthew & Mary Chapman
Howard McKinley Bolton anc. = Thomas Bolton & Jemima Hammock
Brad Bolton
anc = ditto
This is absolute proof that they and several thousand other
Boltons share a common Bolton ancestor. This is the good news, The bad news is
there is very little positive information of how exactly Matthew descended from
this common ancestor, probably Robert Bolton b. 1706. The in-between Bolton men
and their wives can not be positively identified. So far no marriage records,
nor wills, have been found on this line prior to 1785.
Here, presented chronologically, are what little reference data
that is available on these VA Boltons. Many varied conclusions have drawn from
this little amount of data. Some of them
and my interpretation of these same fact will be presented after listing the VA
SOURCES.
A tithe was defined as any white male 16 or older, and slaves of
either sex.
We can only speculate the relationship of the two Boltons, They
were probably related, Robert the father and Matthew his son, is the first
thing that come to mind. And John Hammock could be the father of Jemima Hammock,
Thomas Bolton’s wife.
The afore mentioned Bill Bolton has done a detailed land exchange
research effort for Boltons in this part of VA. Only a Robert Bolton is named
in the first record in 1758 -1760 in Lunenburg Co., then 1761 in Halifax Co.,
Lunenburg 1762-63, Amelia Co. 1765-66, Lunenburg 1767, Pittsylvania Co, 1769
and 1770 Robert sold Benjamin Bolton two parcels of land. It goes on and on
with Robert Bolton acquiring and selling land to John and Thomas Bolton and
others who have married Bolton women. But no mention of a Matthew.
VA SOURCE 2
1777 The Virginia
Historical Magazine has published an article that listed some residents of Henry Co., VA who renounced
their allegiance to Great Britain on 13 SEP 1777.
Tho. Bolton 31
Rob. Bolton Sen 17
(71?) the author assumed that the needed reversing.
James Bolton 42
Genealogist have assumed that if Robert was 71 years of age in
1777 he was born in 1706 and that Thomas b. 1746 and James b. 1735 were his
sons. They have made Robert (1706) the father of our line.
VA SOURCE 3
Marriages
PART 1
1887or 88 Page 12 of
1767-1853 Franklin Co. VA hand written copy.
# 501 Bowlton, Matthew Mary
Perryman Douglas, Thomas 1787or 88
NOTE No day or month given and even the year was questionable. I
have a copy of that page.
PART 2
Mar 22, 1788 is the date for this marriage according to p.41 of
Marshall Wingfield’s 1939 book of Franklin Co. marriage 1786-1858
PART 3
OTHER RECORDED 1785 VA COUNTY MARRIAGES
John Bolton m. Christina Wynn
James Bolton m Frances Clarkson
Robert Bolton m Sarah Russell
Elizabeth Bolton m Benjamin
Potter
VA SOURCE 4
Oct, 1788 Deed book of FRANKLIN CO, VA OCT 1788 LAND TRANSACTION
NAMING LEGATEES AND WITNESSES OF ROBERT BOLON’S ESTATE (Names and data copied
as given)
WIT: David Graves Legatees: John Bolten
Henry Haynes Robert
Perryman
Steven Haynes Matthew
Boulton (X his mark)
Benjamin Bolten Robert
Bolton (X his mark)
Matthew Bolten Mary
Boulton (X his ? mark)
Payton
Smith
James
Boulton
NOTE THE TWO MATTHEW BOLTONS
There are many other land transactions recorded for a Robert
Bolton and a few other Boltons but I have not listed them since they do not
provide a clue to which Robert, Matthew, John, Mary or James Bolton, etc., that
existed from 1748 on.
MARY CHAPMAN’S PROBABLY LINE will be discussed before presenting
the reasons for stating that Matthew’s line is undeterminable.
Mary Chapman has been confused with Mary Perryman to the point
that many researchers say that they are one person, and attempt to rationalize
this some sort of way. They are two different women who married different Matthew
Boltons in VA at different times and at different locations. There is evidence
to prove this point.
First, all the information in the GA Revolutionary Soldiers Book
was provided by Mary and her children, including her marriage date of 26 MAR
1788. Not one time was the name Perryman mentioned. That is enough to prove her
true identity.
The confusion was caused by altered marriage record between two
documents.
Reference 3, part 1 states that Matthew Bolton m. Mary Perryman
1787/88,
The year was not clearly stated nor were the day or month stated.
Reference 3, part 2 states that Matthew Bolton m Mary Perryman 22
MAR 1788, almost the exact date that Mary Chapman stated that she married
Matthew Bolton
Marshall Wingfield assumed in his 1939 book on Franklin
Co., VA marriages that he would help to clarify the date when he failed to copy
the exact information. He never considered that there were multiple Matthew
Boltons in this region. This is a very common mistake made by authors who think
they know more than the facts indicate. Had our Matthew married Mary Chapman in
Franklin Co it would have been recorded in the handwritten document. They were
probably married in Henry Co., VA because of the following probable ancestors
of Mary Chapman.
Nothing is known about our Matthew’s life as a boy or man in VA
except where he was born in Lynchburg, VA 9 JUN 1763, entered the army as an
early age and that he married Mary Chapman 26 MAR 1788, and he went to GA about
1794 with Mary and at least two children. The records show very little
information on the Chapmans in this region but with the aid of a 1998 email of
a Chapman descendant and several postings on Ancestry I think that I have
probably identified some of Mary’s Chapman line.
There are over 50 posts on a Johnathon Chapman b. about 1730 at
Cumberland, VA. By 1757 he was at Lynchburg VA where his daughter Virginia
Elizabeth was born. A son Nathaniel was
born in Lynchburg in 1761. Some posts have one of the other, but most have both
and many of them include a son Thomas b. about 1750 d.1828 at Henry, Co VA.
Some show a photo of his headstone in Henry Co. No other information on Thomas is
presented. A couple of posts show Johnathon with a daughter Mary, no dates or
anything else.
When all of this information is considered it points to Matthew
Bolton who was born at Lynchburg marrying Mary Chapman in 1788, in Henry Co.,
VA who was the daughter this Thomas Chapman and an unnamed wife, for after all
Matthew and Mary named their second son Thomas Chapman Bolton.
This is a much as I have found on Mary Chapman, so it is back to
her husband Matthew and his line. It starts with:
In the 1990’s I attended two Bolton Reunions that were held
annually in East TN. This group descended from Thomas Bolton and Jemima Hammock
and have done an excellent job of documenting Thomas’ and Jemima’s descendants.
At that time Retha Shiplet whose mother was a Thomas Bolton descendant was “ye
self appointed genealogist” of this group. Retha and I started exchanging
email. SOURCE 4 is the center piece that she and other researchers used to
construct their version of the VA Bolton Genealogy. Their interpretation of the SOURCE 2 and
SOURCE 4 is as follows:
Robert Bolton b. 1706 has died in 1788 and named some of his sons
and husbands of his daughters as Legatees to manage his estate. His widow, Mary
Hubbard was born about 1711. They have stated that our Matthew who went to GA
is the son (legatee) in this group and that he married Mary Perryman even
though the actual marriage records say otherwise. I challenged this
configuration as I felt Mary Hubbard Bolton was too old to be my Matthew’s
mother. We agreed to disagree. Since that time I discovered the 1748 Lunenburg
tithe document and the 1785 marriage record of James, John, Robert and Elizabeth. This has lead me
to conclude that Retha and the gang have created a very unusual family which I
have placed in a box.
THE BOX CONTAINS POSTED & MULTI-COPIED DATA BY MANY
RESEARCHERS
| Robert Bolton b 1706 d1787 m. ? year Mary Hubbard b 1711 d. ? |
| Children birth mar. age
when Spouse Mary’s age |
| name year year married __ at child
birth |
| John 1733 1785* 52 Christina
Wynn 22 |
| James 1735 1785* 50 Frances
Clarkson 24 |
| Thomas 1746 1785 39 Jemima Hammack 35 |
| Robert 1750 1785* 35 Sarah Russell 39 |
| Mary 1749-62 Peyton
Smith 38-51 |
| Rebecca 1760 Levi
Shockley 49 |
| Matthew 1763 1788 Mary
Perryman 51-52 |
| Ann 1765 Robert
Perryman 54 |
| Elizabeth 1760-81 1785* 24-4 Benjamin Potter 49-70 |
|Note: *These marriage dates and names are from County records |
The birth years came to them form an unknown source
If a person Thinks Outside The BOX for a few minutes many probable
errors are obvious
John was 52 when he married Christina
James was 50 “ “ Frances
Robert was 35 “ “ Sarah
It seems obvious to me that these marriages in 1785 were those of
a later generation of Bolton men who had given names of their ancestors. There is almost nothing posted about the
families of John 1733, James 1735 and Robert 1750, so people have taken these
recorded 1785 marriages and assigned them to descendants of Old Robert, And no one has posted anything about the 1748
six tithes. How many children do you suppose there were in the family at that
time? Again, we just don’t know. None of names in the box could have been
included in the 1748 tithe group, they were not old enough.
I have not seen it reported when Robert and Mary were married but
from the data in the BOX probably by 1732. The two year spacing between John
and James was typical in that era. But then they discovered some form of birth
control and applied it’s usage for 11 years when Thomas was born in 1746. Many
dates are posted for Mary’s birth year but more tend to place her in the 1760
-65 zone with Rebecca, Matthew, Ann, and Elizabeth. So once again for about 10
years no children were born to Robert and Mary, but they lost the recipe about
1759 and produced 5 more children. Really? Is this sequence of events even
remotely possible? These last 5 children were from a later generation. Brothers
John, James and Robert must have had a flock of children that are not well posted.
These last 5 are their descendants.
The bottom line is that I believe there is no possible way to
determine how many Robert, Matthew, Thomas, Mary or any Bolton there were in
the 1748-1790 time frame nor their exact relationship to each other.
.
Our Bolton
line is probably:
1. Robert
Bolton b. 1706 d 1787
+Mary Hubbard b.1711
2.Son, Robert Bolton + Martha ?
2. Robert
Bolton Speculated because Matthew
named his first dau. Martha and son Robert
+ Martha ?
3. Son, Matthew Bolton
3. Matthew
Bolton [088] b.9 JUN 1763 d. 4 SEP 1824 in Wrightsboro, GA
+ Mary Chapman [089] b. 22 OCT 1768 d 22
FEB 1838 m. 26 MAR 1788 in VA
Her probable line was briefly
described previously
4 Son, Thomas Chapman Bolton
4. Thomas
Chapman Bolton, [044] b24 FEB 1798 Col. Co., GA d 1862 GA
m 23 DEC 1818 Col Co., GA Martha Scott
Smithson (see part1 for her line)
5 Son Samuel Jasper Bolton, [022]
5. Samuel
Jasper Bolton, [022] b.12 OCT 1838 GA d. 20 APR 1898 in Atlanta, GA
m. 10 JAN 1858 Ellen J. Sparks, [023] b.
abt.1844 GA d. 14 AUG 1879 near Memphis, TN
6.
Dau. Mary Augusta Bolton, [011]
ELLEN
SPARKS, [023] Line:
Tracing her
line started with the 1860 Madison Co., AL Census where she is Ellen Bolton
wife of Samuel J. Bolton. Next was found marriage of Samuel Bolton to Ellen J.
Sparks 10 JAN 1858 in Newton Co., GA and
from that data she and her parents, Sanford and Ann Catherine Sparks, were
found in 1850 Newton Co., GA census. Then Sanford’s father was identified by
the following:
From the GA LAND LOTTERY PAPERS 1805-1914 "NEWTON COUNTY Lot 228-10-2 Cherokee. Personally app'dSanfordSparks, an heir, with Louisa Sparks
and Kanzada Sparks(now Kanzada Dennard)of Leven Sparks, dec'd. to claim ot
228-10-2 and lot 228-10-3. Includes app't of Nicholas P. Hunter as att'y.
SignedSANFORDSPARKS before Thomas Dennard and
Columbus D. Pace, J.I.C. 2 June 1843. (From Levin’s age Levin was probably in
War of 1812)
1850 Newton
Co., GA census 1860 Yalobusha Co., MS census
Sanford
Sparks 30 GA overseer S.
Sparks 40 GA slave manager
Ann
Catherine Sparks 27 GA d.1853 Susan Sparks 24
MS (m. 1858)
Ellen Sparks 6 GA NO Ellen
James T.
Sparks 4 GA James Sparks 16 GA
John C. Sparks
2 GA John Sparks 14 GA
Charles A.
Sparks 0 GA Charles 12GA
Notice each
child age was increased by 12 years between census probably because step
mother’s errors.
At this
point it is necessary to inject information from a very valuable resource: A
cardboard box of Samuel’s daughter Mary A. Bolton Hall that were handed down to
her son Tom Hall whose daughter Mary Hall Anthony gave them to me. The items
were loose papers, scraps of Bible pages and large Railroad Ledger that
Samuel’s children had turned into a scrapbook, a few pictures and newspaper
pages. Whenever something from the box is used as a reference I will refer to
it as the B-H Genbox.
The
following was found on Scraps of pages from a Bible in the B-H GenBOX
The scrap
noted that after Sanfords first wife, Ann Catherine died he married Susan
Blackwood Dec 26 1858, probably in MS or TN, where?
Ellen had
married Samuel Bolton in 1858 in Newton Co., GA where Sanford and his family were
in the 1850 Census
1.Sanford
Sparks m Ann Catherine Magu___(torn away and missing)
m. 21 JAN
1841 (no location)
Ann
Catherine d. 19 OCT 1853
Sanford
Sparks m. 26 NOV 1858 Susan Blackwood (prob. MS)
2. I have
found no other records of Sanford or Susan after the 1860 census.
3. Prior to
1850 Sanford Sparks and his sister applied for veteran’s benefits for their
father Levin Sparks. Others have posted that he died in 1835 and that his wife
was Nancy. I subscribed to the Sparks Family Newsletter for several years in an
attempt to determine Levin’s line. The only thing that was mentioned was that
Levin was most likely from the S. Carolina Sparks, b about 1785.
Another
bible page told of the deaths of Ellen’s brother James and John who were killed
in separate locations near Atlanta during the Civil War. “James T. was killed
in the battle 22nd JULY 1864 near Atlanta and is buried in an
unknown grave. He belonged to the 9th Mississippi Regiment, Co K.
John Sparks died DEC 18th ( year missing as is some words the last
one being
C_apel) and continues at the top of the next column
of the page) Hill near Pope station”
Pope Station
and Chapel Hill are two locations within Douglasville, GA which is 20 miles
West of Atlanta. And on the same page, “
Charles A. Sparks died 19 FEB 1887 at Memphis and is buried at Elmwood.
1820 Jasper
Co. GA Census
232 1085
Sparks Benjn pg0216.txt
232 1084
Sparks Eleven pg0216.txt
208 673
Sparks John pg0194.txt
226 985
Sparks John Senr pg0216.txt
Levin
( Eleven) listed in 1820 Jasper Co.GA census #1084 and Benjamin#1085
Eleven
has 1 male 0-10 and he is 25-45; females 3 each 0-10 , 1each 10-15,
Jasper.,
GA 1820 Census
MALES FEMALES
00 10
16 16 26 00 10
16 26
10 16
18 26 45
45+ 10 16 26
45 45+
p226
SPARKS, JOHN SENR 2 2
0 1 1
0 2 0 0
1 0
p232 SPARKS, ELEVEN 1 0 0
0 1 0 3
1 0 1
0
p232 SPARKS, BENJ. 2 3 0
0 1 0 1
2 1 1
0
Newton
Co., GA was formed out of part of Jasper Co.
Sanford
Sparks was born in 16 April 1820 so he is probably the male 0-10 in Eleven's
(Levin's] family and he would have four sisters at that time, the eldest being
10-16. This then leads to the conclusion that Eleven was probably between 31-36
years old. Or born about 1785-1787.
Benjamin
was listed next to Eleven and with the age structure listed It seems as though
they were brothers, or Ben could have been Eleven's (Levin's) father. .
Is
John another brother or maybe their father? He is probably related.
Wrapping
up the Sparks portion of this document:
Sanford b.
1820, in GA. 1850 GA census he is an overseer, 1860 MS census he is one of two
slave managers on a large plantation with second wife Susan Blackwood.no record
found for him after 1860
1st
Wife Ann Catherine Magu… lived 31 years
Dau Ellen
Sparks Bolton lived 37 years. (Only
child of Sanford to marry and /or have children)
Son James T.
Sparks live 18 years
Son John
Sparks lived 16-18 years
Son
Charles Sparks lived 37 years
NOTE TO
READER: FROM HERE ON THE MATERIAL IS MORE FAMILY HISTORY THAN GENEALOGY AND MAY
NOT BE OF INTEREST TO EVERYONE
THE NOMADIC
TRAVELS OF SAMUEL J. BOLTON AND WIFE ELLEN J. SPARKS
Getting back
to Samuel Jasper Bolton, he and 3 of his brothers’ marriage records were found
at Newton Co., GA. Samuel J. Bolton m. Ellen J. Sparks 10 JAN 1858; Brother
Benjamin N. Bolton m. Elizabeth Rhodes 26 JAN 1854; Brother Andrew J. Bolton m.
Elviora Stubbs 24 DEC 1856. These three couples were employed as carpenters by
the railroad companies, I assume for the purpose of repairing or manufacturing
new railroad cars. Of interest to me is the transition of my ancestors going
from being farmers staying in one or two locations for their entire life to
tradesmen who were often transferred around the country just like people who
work in the “oil patch” today. No longer did one brother inherit the family
farm and the others left to go elsewhere in search of a place of their own.
1850 census
DeKalb Co., GA Samuel was with parents
1858 m 15
1/2 year old Ellen J. Sparks in Newton
Co., GA
1859 23 FEB
Son Thomas b. GA
1860
census Madison Co.,(HSV) AL Samuel is a
RR Carpenter, wife Ellen and son Thomas 1 b. GA
1863, 25
DEC Cartersville, GA, Daughter Mary A.
born. (Family Knowledge = FK)
1866 Dau
Lizzie b. AL m. George Peacock 1888 in Atlanta
1869 NOV
Samuel J. b AL
1870 census
Madison Co., AL (HSV) Carpenter, wife Ellen, Thomas 11 GA, Mary 6 GA, Lizzie 4
AL,
Samuel J.
8/12 AL
1873 15 OCT son
Benjamin C. b. TN ( Later went by C. B. Bolton)
1876 SEP son Jesse Smithson b. TN
1878 10 SEP
Oldest son Thomas dies of yellow fever.
1879 15 AUG
wife and mother, Ellen J. dies of yellow fever.
1880 Shelby
Co. Memphis TN Census S. J. Bolton 45 GA carpenter, dau Mary 16 GA keeping
house,
dau Lizzie
AL 13 at home, son Samuel 10 AL, son Benjamin 6 TN, son Jessie 3 TN and a black
servant, Hattie Baxter.
1898 20 APR
Samuel J. Bolton, (Sr.) died in Atlanta, GA and his body was shipped by train
to Memphis where he is buried next to wife Ellen and son Thomas.
More details
about Samuel when his children are discussed.
Samuel,
brothers Benjamin N. and Andrew J Bolton were in Memphis, TN in 1880 census and
all three were carpenters for the railroad. All three were in Memphis City
directory until 1887 when Benjamin no longer appeared. Andrew died 8 JAN 1903
in Memphis
The
industrial revolution was made possible by many things, but nothing more
important than the invention of the steam engine. James Watt is often credited
with inventing the steam engine in England but what he did was invent a way to
greatly improve the efficiency of the steam engine but he had no facilities for
manufacturing them. A friend told him to contact Matthew Boulton who had made a
great reputation for himself by making coins for the crown and who had such
facilities. They formed a partnership and got very wealthy making steam engines
for many applications. So indirectly the three Bolton brothers from GA profited
from the partnership Matthew Boulton and James Watt in England.
THE CHILDREN
of SAMUEL J. BOLTON and ELLEN J. SPARKS,
NOT your
typical children, and the end of the Bolton name being carried on by this line
in spite of Samuel’s 5 sons. Here is their Family group Sheet followed by a
short history on each child.
THE SAMUEL J. BOLTONS IN MEMPHIS and WHERE THEY
MIGRATED
Compiled from family knowledge and mementoes, Memphis
TN City Directories found on line at: http://register.shelby.tn.us/ andcensus
records.
Prior to this time period only census and marriage
records were available to track this family but after relocating to Memphis by
1874 more information became available. When reading the Memphis city
directories It became appearant that each edition labeled for a certain year
was actually the previous year’s data. Thus,
even though they were in Memphis in 1874 no record was found for them until the
1876 edition because there was no 1875 edition on line. S. J.’s wife Ellen d 15
AUG 1879 with yellow fever. Everyone of his and Ellen’s children have very
different and unusual bios.
A BRIEF BIO FOR
OUR BOLTONS EACH OF MARY’S SIBLINGS,
1. SON THOMAS CUSTER (or CUSTISS)
After fiishing high school worked as a clerk for the
railroad until he died at age of 20 of yellow fever. No issue
2. DAU. MARY Discussed in detail later.
3. DAU. ELIZABTH (Lizzie)
Several trees were found for her marriage to George T. Peacock of
Atlanta, GA. She was 30 years old when they married after 1896 and he had a
daughter Louisa, b. about 1890 from a previous marriage. There is no record of
them having children. Family lore says he was an attorney but one census states
that he was a grain broker. Lizzie surfaces one more time in family knowledge
later.
4. SON SAMUEL J. JR.
Samuel is found in the 1900 Memphis, TN census as head of the household
with his brother Jesse S Bolton 23, both single and both clerks for railroads.
Family lore states that S.J. Jr. became an attorney in the transportation
industry. I have not been able to find him after 1900 census except the
following on google:
United States. Interstate Commerce Commission - 1914 - Interstate commerce
Samuel D. Snow, Thos. C. Augerstein ... St. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern Railway Company et al. ... G. M. Stephen and Samuel J. Bolton for
complainant. I could not find any other information period.
5. SON BENJAMIN C. BOLTON b, 15 OCT 1873 in Memphis.
On 15 OCT 1902 C. B. Bolton, he
married Olive Boggiano at Memphis, TN
and their daughter Mary Ellen b 17 APR 1910
Note: Other than 1880 census he always referred to himself as C. B. or
Charles B. Bolton
1910 Census of Shelby Co, (Memphis), C. B. living with mother in law
Mary Boggiano (a widow) who was b Ohio to Italian parents and her husband had
been b in Italy.
Charles B. Bolton 36 m 7 engin--
auto co.
Olive B Bolton 31 m 7 children born 3, living 1
Mary E. Bolton ?/12
I thought it strange that after 7 years of marriage they would be living
with Olive’s mother so I checked the census date and found that Mary Ellen was
only 3 days old when census was taken on 20 APR 1910. I suspect that they were
staying with Olive’s mother for a few days because her mother could help with
the baby.
1920 LA, CA census
Charles B. Bolton 46 auto parts
wife unreadable 31
Mary E. 9 NOTE: I have a photo of Mary taken about 1920. Family Lore
says she was a child actress. See Bolton photos.
1930 LA, CA census
Charles B. Bolton 56 part owner in auto parts Bolton and Bayless company
in LA.
Olive B. 50
Mary E. 19
1940 LA, CA Census
Olive B. Bolton 61 widowed
Mary E. Gillett 29 divorced dau.
Bolton Gillett 8 grandson
Mary Boggiano 92 Mother
NOTE: 4 generations in one household
6. SON JESSE SMITHSON His story
is the strangest.
Jesse was born in Memphis, TN in
1877 and was only 2 years old when his mother died in the Yellow Fever
epidemic. His two older sisters took the place of his mother, My uncle Jesse Baucom
told me that Jesse Smithson had been a cadet at West Point but was dismissed
because they found tobacco leaves in one of his text books during an
inspection. Later on I saw a picture of him in his uniform. And the following
sequence of events were found on line verifying that he was there, but only for
one school year and the following summer.
Memphis City directories show Jesse as a RR clerk for several years
after high school, a student for one year and back to a railroad clerk after
one year as a student. Here is where he spent that year as a student and why he
returned:
No reason given for any of the 48 discharged on that list.
Pages 1863 & 1864 of the document found at the following URL show
142 demerits for Jesse in two months for failing to meet the standards of the
Academy:
What a mystery; A railroad carpenter’s son who is working as a clerk
gets an appointment to West Point by somebody, he passes the entrance exams,
and evidently the class material for his first year. Had he not passed them he
would have been discharged in JUN and not stayed at West Point until SEP. After
a year there he had to know the drill. Did they want him gone, or did he
purposely get demerits? He could have resigned, others did each year.
After returning to Memphis and his job as a RR clerk for a few years I
could find no record of him in the 1910 census anywhere. When he registered for
the WWI draft in 1917 he was living with his sister Mary Bolton Hall in
Huntsville, AL. Mary, children and Jesse located at Birmingham, AL before 1920
where she and children were enumerated in the census. Jesse died 22 FEB 1920, before the census was taken. He never married.
WRAP UP of
CHILDREN (Other than MARY AUGUSTA)
Samuel J.
Bolton Sr. b 12 OCT 1838 in GA, was a long time carpenter for the RR and before
he died his title was Joint Car Inspector for about 10 different RRs at
Memphis, TN. He died 18 APR 1898 in Atlanta, GA according to a telegram sent to
his daughter Mary from her brother. My guess is that Samuel was there on RR
business or to visit daughter Lizzie. His body was shipped from Atlanta to
Memphis by RR where he was buried in the plot with his wife Ellen and son
Thomas. Of his 4 sons, only 1 was married and he had 1 daughter, both of his 2
daughters married but only Mary had children, 6 or 7 children that lived and
one who died before 1900.
6. Mary
Augusta Bolton, [011] b. 25 DEC 1863 Cartersville, GA d. 1928 Birmingham, AL
m. 1SEP 1886 Memphis, TN William Carnes Hall,
[010] b. c1856 Tipton Co.,TN d. ???
7. Dau. Bennie Eliza Hall, [005] b.
10 APR 1888 d. 11 JUL 1950
She married Estell Lee (aka Doc) Baucom 1 MAR
1905 at Huntsville, AL. Their descendants are covered in the BAUCOM genealogy
If you are
only interested in genealogy the preceding paragraph is the end of the Bolton
phase. Mary’s husband William Carnes
Hall’s, ancestors are presented in a separate part, they are many, well
documented, military leaders, politicians, Presbyterian Church founders and a
line that goes back to Charles, the Hammer, Martell and his son Charlemagne.
However as I researched Mary Augusta Bolton’s life I discovered my favorite
ancestor, a caring, loving child, mother and grandmother who under very
unfavorable circumstances did what she had to do to survive, that included help
from her father and siblings. This is written mainly to tell her story to my
Baucom, first cousins and their descendants, so that they will know what a
heroic woman we had for our ancestor.
MARY AUGUSTA
BOLTON 25 DEC 1863 – 1928
Besides
marriage and census records, I have seen or have in my possession papers from
Mary’s and her children’s that were handed down from her son Tom (Samuel Thomas
Hall) to his daughter Mary, later and to me. Her son in law, my grandfather
Estell, (Doc) Baucom provided a great deal of verbal input on Mary and finally
my father and his siblings were a little help.
Everything
that I know about Mary prior to 23 Feb 1859 has been presented previously. This
is the date that her older brother Thomas died of yellow fever. Her uncle Charles
Sparks sent Mary a Bible and a card expressing his condolences. Mary was in
high school and not yet 16. Then 11 months later her mother died of the same
disease.
The 1880
census record no longer show her as a student but at home. She immediately
dropped out of school assumed the role of mother to her siblings with the help
of a black servant hired by her father. Mary like all girls kept a tablet like
book that friends wrote notes in. After this date no entries were made. Mary
had kept several graduation announcements sent to her by her friends and on one
she or a friend had written in Mary’s name. Her youngest sibling was only 2
when the roof caved in on Mary. After Mary was older she was listed with her
father in the Memphis city directory several times, once as Tunie Bolton, a
nickname that her brothers and father called her.
On 1 SEP
1886 things went from bad to worse when she married William Carnes Hall in
Memphis, TN., although I am sure she did not see it that way immediately. It
was the first marriage for both, he was 30 and she was 23. There is no
information known on how they met, only that William’s home had been in or near
Covington, Tipton Co., TN a few miles north of Memphis. The 1880 census has him
living with his mother, 24 years old and clerk in store.
1. William
had gone through his mother’s money when he made 3 attempts at starting a
business.
2. He would
not or could not keep a job even when Mary’s father and brothers had used their
railroad connections to help him secure employment.
3. He shot
and killed a black drayman in New Orleans in an argument on his second day on a
job there where it was William’s job to record each delivery made to this
location so that the correct company or person was properly paid for their
goods. I have seen a newspaper account
of the incident, where he claimed it was self defense when he thought the
drayman was reaching for a weapon in his back pocket when all he was doing was
reaching for papers that identified the owner.
Unfortunately
I do not know when, or the outcome of the event.
4. Mary’s
father purchased a small 10 acre farm near Huntland, TN, just a few miles north
and east of Huntsville, Al. They could raise their food and get by on money sent
by him and her brothers.
LETTERS:
4. Mary kept
some of the letters from her father and brothers with money enclosed stating
they wish they could send more and a letter William’s widowed mother, Eliza Carnes
Hall,who had to go live with a married daughter in Coleman, TX wrote her saying
that she never thought Willy would settle down an marry. She noted that some of
the ladies in TX even did their own laundry and ironing.
Memphis City
Directories
1887 W. C. Hall, clk. C & O ROUTE residence
107 St. Martin
Miss Mary Bolton living with father 758 Main
1888 William
C. Hall clk C & O Route r. 5 McCall
1889 William
C. Hall car inspector r. 227 Georgia
1890
William carp. r. 14 Commerce ( This probably
a different William)
There is no
record of William Carnes Hall after these dates. I have searched the 1900
Census records and there is no one matching his bio.
1900
Franklin Co., TN Census
Mary A. Hall
36 b DEC 1863 b AL (actual GA) D for divorced 6births 5 liv.
Bennie dau.
12 b MAY 1888 b TN 4 yrs school (why not 6 yrs?)
Thomas
son 9 b AUG 1890 b AL 4 yrs school
Irene
dau. 7 b APR 1893 b
TN 1 yr school
John
son 4 b FEB 1896 b
TN
Bolton
son 2 b MAR 1898 b
TN
Bennie was
born in Memphis and Tom was born in Birmingham and the remainder of the
children were born in Franklin, Co. TN on the farm purchased by Mary’s dad.
Mary could have lived in New Orleans with William or not when he killed the
drayman. Anyway William must have had employment in Birmingham in 1890. After Mary
and the children went to live on the farm in TN did William live on the farm with
them or come home off and on to impregnate Mary? And finally by 1900 Mary had
enough of her dead beat husband and divorced him.
Sometime
after 1901 Mary sold the TN farm and relocated in Huntsville with her children
to operate a boarding house for cotton mill workers. During that same time
period Charles Baucom, his wife Mettie and their children also came to
Huntsville from Marshall Co., TN to work in the cotton mills. Charles was a
share cropper and the crops had failed for 2 years. The Madison Co., AL
marriage record show that Estell Buscom married Bennie Hall 1 MAR 1905. I am
their oldest grandson. But this is Mary’s story and now a mystery unfolds with
the 1910 Madison Co., AL census:
Mary A. Hall 46 m 1
24 yrs 7 births 6 liv.
S. Thomas son 19
AL
Irene dau 17 TN
John S. son 14
TN
Bolton E. son 12
TN
Eddie R. dau 9 TN
So Mary lied
on her 1900 census about being divorced and then old William who can not be
located anywhere in the 1900 census shows up in TN a year later to impregnate
Mary one more time, possible but not probable. This is exactly what the census
records indicate and the family lore backs up this scenario completely except
that none of them ever saw William Carnes Hall.
THE LORE
When Eddie
Rice Hall was born Mary, for some unexplained reason, decided not to name her
new daughter and referred to her as Baby for years until she was old enough to
pick out a name for herself. Supposedly, Eddie Rice was a very popular preacher
in Madison Co., AL where the family lived and that was the name that she
selected.
Everyone in
the family always called her Aunt Baby, I have a photo of her as a young woman
with “Aunt Baby” written on it. Never was she called anything else in the
family.
I was told
this story several times when I started collecting information for my genealogy
report and I filled it away. But years later when reviewing Mary’s saved
letters I came across a letter to her from her sister Lizzie who lived in
Atlanta. GA with her husband George Peacock and his daughter from a previous
marriage. In the letter Lizzies states that Bennie is doing fine and they are
enjoying her visit. Then I recalled that my dad’s brother, Jesse Baucom told me
that his mother, Bennie, had gone to GA for a while to live with the Peacocks
to go to school.
COULD AUNT
BABY BE BENNIE’S CHILD?
1. It has
been a common practice forever to send an unmarried teen age pregnant daughter
to live with an out of town aunt until after the baby was born. The baby was
usually adopted but some times returned home with the mother.
2. Mary
would have not hesitated naming the child if it were hers.
3. And if the
baby was Mary’s why would she send her oldest daughter to live with an aunt
while she stayed on a remote farm with the younger children to have the baby?
The natural thing is to keep the best help nearby.
My
speculation is that Mary told her children to not disclose the true identity of
the Baby when they moved to Huntsville in order to protect Bennie’s reputation.
It was a new start for the family so Mary changed her story claiming the child
as hers and to keep the story straight claimed to still be married. What would
you expect from a person who had been a caregiver all of her life, not to
mention that Mary was a very religious Baptist woman. Another example of her
care giving is her youngest brother Benjamin who washed out of West Point came
to live with Mary in Huntsville in 1917 where he registered for the draft and my
aunt Ruby told me that Mary’s daughter Irene, who never married, was a “little
crazy” and stayed with Mary until Mary died in 1928. Her brother in LA CA was
still sending her money after 1920. MARY BOLTON HALL is my nominee for the most
caring and devoted mother in all of my ancestors. May she rest in peace.
