1936 Alford Family Reunion, Mississippi

This newspaper clipping was a great find. The report of this family reunion gives information on several family members.

Alfords Meet in Reunion at Camp Ground

Topisaw Scene of Festival as Descendants of Famous Family Reunite.

Aug. 17 (Special) – Needham E. Alford of Holmesville [Needham Edwin Alford, 1845-1937], a man who has four sons in the ministry and who lacks only two months of being 91 years of age, was guest of honor at the Alford family reunion here.

In 1881 B. S. [Barnabas Seaborn] Alford (father of L. E. [Lucius Edwin] Alford of Port Gibson, Miss.), his brother, Leander Alford, and their father, S. J. [Seaborn John] Alford, joined in building a frame tent that the families might be represented at the first meeting after the Civil War. This cabin has been kept on this spot for fifty-five years as a place of reunions, and Mr. and Mrs. Norman Alford brought the 1936 reunion about.

Mr. Needham Alford’s sons in the ministry are J. M. [Joseph Martin] and J. A. [Jason Abraham] Alford of the Louisiana Conference, L. F. [Louis Flemon] Alford of the Mississippi Conference, and C. W. [Caldwell Wellman] Alford of the Florida Conference.

At the reunion 

·     N. N. [Needham Nugent] Alford, a son of S. J. [Seaborn John] Alford and a half brother of the B. S. [Barnabas Seaborn] Alford, was present, with one son, Percy Alford;

·     Also Charley Edna Lewis, daughter of Emma Alford Lewis [daughter of Seaborn John Alford];

·     Robert S. Alford and wife of McComb,

·     J. M. [Joseph Martin] Alford, wife and two children of Tylertown;

Also the following descendants of B. S. Alford:

·     James B. Alford [James Barney Alford b c 1871 MS] and wife, 

·     L. W. [Lewis Wesley Alford, b c 1875] Alford and wife,

·     Norman Alford [b c 1880] and wife and sons, Mason and George, all of McComb;

·     Luke E. Alford [Lucius Edwin Alford b c 1873] of Port Gibson;

·     Dr. C. B. Alford, wife and son, L. E. Alford of Columbia;

·     Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Hayes of New Orleans (Mrs. Hayes being the youngest child and only daughter of B. S. Alford). [Carrie Mabel (Alford) Hayes b c 1886]

In commenting on this joyous reunion, L. E. [Lucius Edwin] Alford said, “The best of good things to eat spread on the dining room table added much to the joy of the occasion and showed that the depression was a thing of the past.”

My notes are in green. I changed the format of the article to list the names.

Source: Alfords Meet in Reunion at Camp Ground. (McComb, MS: Enterprise-Journal, 17 Aug. 1936) 1; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed September 2018.

FIRST Birthday of the Century

Mary Polly Spurlock Brown

My 3^rdGreat Grandmother

1 January 1800 GA – 12 January 1888 MS

Mary is appropriate to be FIRST in this challenge because she was born on the FIRST day of 1800; the FIRST day of the new year and the FIRST day of a new century. She is the FIRST name on the Family Calendar that I make each year. 

I know very little about her. I have never been able to uncover the names of her parents or siblings. I only know her in relation to her husband, Edward Stewart Brown and their five children. Here is their story.

Edward Stewart Brown was born 26 July 1806 in Liberty County, Georgia. He was the son of Moses Brown and Sarah (Robertson) Brown and the grandson of Edward and Jemimiah Brown. By the time he was six years old his father had moved the family from Georgia, through the Creek Nation’s Territory to Marion County, Mississippi.

            When he was a boy he inherited a portion of his maternal grandmother’s estate. Then he inherited a portion of his maternal uncle’s estate. Unfortunately there are not details of the contents of those estates. 

            About 1835 Edward married Mary Polly Spurlock who was born 1 January 1800 in Oglethorpe, Georgia. Together they lived in Amite County, Mississippi where, in 1836, Mary gave birth to three children. On 26 January 1836 she gave birth to her first child, Allen Moses Brown. On 15 December 1836 she gave birth to twin girls, Martha M. Brown and Mary Magdelene Brown. They would later have two more children.

            Edward purchased 153.39 acres of land along Robinson Creek on 10 November 1840.[i]He was able to purchase the land because of the Cash Entry Act of 24 April 1820.[ii]

The Cash Entry Act of April 24,1820 (3 stat. 566) allowed the outright purchase of federal land. It also reduced the minimum size of the tract from 160 to 80 acres (647,000 to 324,000 m²). Additionally, the act required a down payment of $100 and reduced the price from $1.65 to $1.25 per acre.[iii]

The certificate for the land patent was signed by President Martin Van Buren.[iv]The certificate describes the location of the land.

For the East – half of the North East quarter and the West half of the South East quarter of Section seventeen in Township three of Range five East, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Washington, Mississippi, containing one hundred and fifty three acres and thirty nine hundredths of an acre according to the official plat of the survey of the said Lands, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General which said tract has been purchased by Edward Stewart Brown.[v]

At the same time Edward purchased 118.33 acres, located in section nine of Washington, Amite, Mississippi.[vi]Looking at a map shows Edward’s plots of land are near each other. Drawing a diagonal line from southwest to northeast would connect the four plots. Today State Highway 569 comes close to those properties. [vii]

In 1845 and 1853 Edward S. Brown was in the Mississippi Census. In 1845 there were seven males and four females in the family and in 1853 there were three males and four females in the family.[viii]The 1850 U. S. Census details the members of this family in Amite County. Edward was a 46-year-old farmer whose real estate was valued at $720. Mary was 47 years old. By that time Edward and Mary had five children who were all living at home: Allen Moses Brown, Mary Magdelene Brown, Martha M. Brown, Adeline Julia (Brown) Westmoreland and James Pascal Brown.[ix]

            Edward S. Brown died 7 May 1856 in Mississippi. In 1860 his widow, Mary was still in Amite County. Both her sons were with her. Allen Moses Brown and his wife, Emmaline, were both living there. Mary was shown as the head of the household with the real estate valued at $2,000 and her personal estate was valued at $9,000. Allen was a planter whose personal estate was valued at $600.[x]

Tragically, Mary outlived her children. In 1862 James was killed in the Civil War.[xi]Adeline Julia (Brown) Westmoreland died 8 August 1864. Allen Moses Brown died between 1870 and 1880. [It is unknown when twins, Mary and Martha, died.] Where Mary lived after 1860 is unknown. Mary died 12 January 1888 in Osyka, Pike, Mississippi.[xii]

Related Posts:

• Mary Gives Birth to 3 Babies in One Year
• Mary Polly Spurlock Brown, Born with the Century

Amy Johnson Crow challenges us to remember our ancestors and their families through this task: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  I completed '52 Ancestors' in 2014 & here I go again. This post is in response to that challenge. The topic for the first week is ‘FIRST’.

---

[i]Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Amite County, Mississippi. Deluxe. Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Publishing Co., 2006.

[ii]US Dep. Of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Certificate #4522, Accession MS0440.055, 10 November 1840; glorecords,blm.gov; Edward S. Brown in Amite Co., MS.

[iii]US Dep. Of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Certificate #4522, Accession MS0440.055, 10 November 1840; glorecords,blm.gov; Edward S. Brown in Amite Co., MS.

[iv]US Dep. Of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Certificate #4522, Accession MS0440.055, 10 November 1840; glorecords,blm.gov; Edward S. Brown in Amite Co., MS.

[v]US Dep. Of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Certificate #4522, Accession MS0440.055, 10 November 1840; glorecords,blm.gov; Edward S. Brown in Amite Co., MS.

[vi]US Dep. Of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Certificate #4523, Accession MS0440.056, 10 November 1840; glorecords,blm.gov; Edward S. Brown in Amite Co., MS.

[vii]Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Amite County, Mississippi. Deluxe. Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Publishing Co., 2006.

[viii]MS State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792 - 1866, microfilm V229.1; ancestry.com; Edward S Brown in Amite Co 1845 & 1853.

[ix]1850 US Census, MS, Amite Co; Roll M432-368.  Line 30. E S Brown family.

[x]1860 US Census, MS, Amite, Liberty; M653-577, National Archives. Mary Brown and children. 

[xi]Bradshaw, Jim. ‘Battle of Baton Rouge’, KnowLA, Encyclopedia of Louisiana; knowla.org.

[xii]Criminger, Adrianne Fortenberry, The Fortenberry Families of Southern Mississippi(Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc., 1984).

Never Underestimate a Library

Photo from the Rappahannock Library

I love libraries. You never know what treasures you will find in libraries until you go inside. Of course, I often use online resources for genealogy and history research but when I can hold a book in my hand and discover what I need in its pages, I am extra happy.

I live in New York State but am often in Virginia. Why? Two reasons: our two little grandsons live in Virginia. [Of course, I visit our daughter and son-in-law too. Ha!] I try to lend a hand when I am there. I sometimes drive our older grandson to Preschool.  While he is learning I go to a nearby library.

The Rappahannock Library,

Washington, Virginia

The library is small and quiet. It is a perfect place for me to spread out my notebooks and laptop on a wooden table and dive into writing my most recent genealogy book, ‘Our Brown Roots’. Before I know it, it is time for me to go pick up our grandson and hear about his day’s activities.

Now it is time for a true confession. At first, I was just using the library as a quiet place to write. Then I thought: I wonder if there are any books on Virginia’s early history here? Several branches of my ancestors lived in the Virginia Colony. Of course there were books!

Here are three books that taught me about the early history and gave me details on everyday life in the Virginia Colony. These books gave me terrific details for my book in progress. 

·     Andrews, Matthew Page. Virginia, the Old Dominion; Volume I (Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press, 1949).

·     Billings, Warren M. The Old Dominion in the seventeenth Century: A Documental History of Virginia, 1601 – 1689(Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1975).

·     Torpey, Dorothy M. Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia(Richmond, VA: Whittet & Shepperson, 1961).

Then I saw a section of the library called ‘Special Collection’. I found more great books including these:

·     Greer, George Cabell. Early Virginia Immigrants(Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982).

·     Smith, Annie Laurie Wright. The Quit Rents of Virginia, 1704(Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1980). 

·     Torrence, Clayton. Virginia Wills and Administrations, 1632-1800 (Berryville, VA: Virginia Book Company, 1981).

The Quit Rents of Virginia definitely includes my ancestor, John Alford, 1645 VA – 1710 VA, who was in New Kent, Virginia in 1704 where he had 240 acres of land. The other two books include my surnames in their index. I photocopied several pages and will investigate those carefully.

Next time I am in Virginia I will explore the Rappahannock Library again and I’m sure I will find more treasures. Remember,

Never Underestimate a Library!

Time for a new Family Calendar

It is Time for a new Family Calendar!

Each year, for several years, I have made a family calendar for my brothers & myself. As the years have passed I have ordered more and more copies. My cousins and their children want copies. My father, Delbert Keith Brown, was one of seven children so we are a big, ever expanding group. As long as my cousins send me photos, those photos are included.

 The top page of each month highlights the many family activities from the last year: birthdays, graduations, new babies, holidays, apple picking, snowman building, trips, etc. Other times the top page looks back at times gone by or combines past & present.

The bottom page includes birthdays & anniversaries for our family. That includes ancestors who are long gone. 

This year I added a 'Genealogy Spotlight' at the bottom of each page. It highlights someone from our past who was born or married in the month of the calendar. 

Family members tell me they look forward to the new calendar each year. One cousin has told me it makes her laugh & cry. Some folks quickly scan the pages, looking for themselves. Others turn the pages slowly, reading every little item. One family member will only look at one month at a time, setting himself up for 12 surprises a year. 

The calendars are in the hands of family now. 

I hope they learn more about our family.

I hope they enjoy it all year long.

Do you have new calendar?

Related Posts:

• New Year, New Family Calendar
• Genealogy Christmas Gifts

Merry Christmas 2018!

Have a magical merry Christmas

& a bright beautiful New Year!

Colleen

20 Dec 1818 - 200 Years Ago - Wedding Anniversary

In looking for inspiration for my blog I looked at December birthdays & anniversaries and noticed three significant Ancestor Anniversaries. This is the third and last. I wonder what a wedding looked like 200 years ago. Was the ceremony performed in a church or their home? Who gathered for the wedding? Was there a special meal following the ceremony?  And I wonder if Edwin & Martha would be surprised to know we are marking their wedding day, 200 years later.


My 3rd great grandparents were married 200 years ago on 20 December 1818.

Edwin Barksdale Alford

25 Nov 1792 NC - 10 Mar 1878 MS

Son of Jacob Alford & Elizabeth Bryant
Edwin served in the War of 1812, in the LA Militia.
He was in the Battle of New Orleans.
After the War he moved to MS.

&

Martha P. Smith

25 Mar 1802 SC - 8 Aug 1861 MS

Daughter of Jeremiah George Smith & Joanna Dillon

Married 20 December 1818 Pike County, MS

They were married for 43 years. They were the parents of nine children.

Sources:

• Conerly, Luke Ward, and E. Russ Williams, Source Records from Pike County, Mississippi 1798 - 1910 and Misc. Legal and Family Records Pertaining to the Areas of Pike and Walthall Counties, MS(Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1978)92 – 98.
• Heard, Ruby Alford, Gil Alford. Early Mississippi Alfords(AAFA Action, III, 1990) 35.
• Williams, E. R., A Potpourri of Historical Data Concerning the Founding Families and Individuals of Washington Parish, Louisiana, 1798 – 1860. (Monroe, LA: Northeast Louisiana University, 1990) 1.
• NARA, War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files; Fold 3(fold3.com) Cpt. Wm. Brickham’s Co., LA Militia; Edwin Alford.
• US Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, Land. Bounty Land Warrant #75733 for Edwin Alford in Tangipahoa Parish, LA; 12 February 1857.
• Parish, Ray and June Sartin, Cemetery Inscriptions Pike County, Mississippi 1750 – 1978(MS: Privately Printed, 1979) Page 1.  
• Agricultural Meeting, Osyka. (New Orleans, LA: New Orleans Times, 8 August 1868) 3; digital image, Genealogy Bank: accessed September 2017.
• Died (Franklinton, LA: The Era-Leader, 10 December 1914) 4; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed 26 May 2017.
• Booth, Andrew Bradford,Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands( New Orleans, 1920) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com; accessed 2017). 
• Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Tangipahoa County, Louisiana.Deluxe. (Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Publishing Co., 2008) 126.

Related Posts:

• Edwin Barksdale Alford
• Martha P. Smith

16 December 1798 - 220 Years Ago - Wedding Anniversary

In looking for inspiration for my blog I looked at December birthdays & anniversaries and noticed three significant Ancestor Anniversaries. This is the second of those anniversaries. I wonder if Jeremiah & Joanna ever stopped to celebrate the day.


My 4th great grandparents were married 220 years ago, on 16 December 1798.

Jeremiah George Smith

23 Dec 1773 SC - 1843 MS
Son of Jeremiah Smith, Sr. & Jemimah Hollis
Jeremiah served in the War of 1812.
He was in the MS Territory Militia.

&

Joanna Dillon

22 Aug 1778 NC - after Apr 1821
Daughter of Richard Dillon & Anne Lawrence


Married 16 December 1798, SC

Jeremiah & Joanna were the parents of 13 children. 
Two of those children are my 3rd great grandparents. My great grandparents, Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella (Brumfield) Brown, were both great grandchildren of Jeremiah & Joanna. They were second cousins.

Sources:

• The Jeremiah Smith, Sr. Bible, c. 1800 - 1917, Bible in possession of Mrs. W. C. Uhlman, Rte. 6, Tylertown, Mississippi. Copy of pages given to author by Pat (Brock) Smith. Holbrook and Fressenden’s Stereotype Edition of the Holy Bible, Brattleboro, VT, 1825. Original owner: Jeremiah Smith Sr. of Pike Co., MS. Copied by Texana Carter, 27 August 1854.
• Conerly, Luke Ward. Source Records from Pike County, Mississippi, 1798-1910; 1798-1910; (SC: Southern Historical Press, 1989) 118.
• Casey, A. E. (2001). Amite County, Mississippi, 1699-1890.Volume 3: The Environs. Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, Inc. (Original work published 1957) 497.
• Compiled Service records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812 in Organizations from the Territory of Mississippi; NARA; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed Aug. 2017).

Related Posts

• Jeremiah Smith
• Richard Dillon

6 December 1868 - 150 Years Ago - Wedding Anniversary

In looking for inspiration for my blog I looked at December birthdays & anniversaries and noticed three significant Ancestor Anniversaries. This is the first and most recent of those three anniversaries from long ago.

My great - great grandparents were married 150 years ago on 6 December 2018.

Augustus Ceaser Gruissy

 16 May 1840 OH - 8 Dec 1915 OH

son of Christian Gruissy & Mary Grorisclauss

&

Esther Barbara Wolf 

14 Jan 1836 OH - 11 Aug 1906 OH

daughter of John Franklin Wolf & Elisabeth Burkholder

Married 6 December 1868, Stark County, Ohio
They were married for 38 years before Esther's death.

Augustus was married three times. This was his second marriage.

Sources:

• MARRIAGE: Family History Center Microfilm #897630. 1868 - 1872 Marriage Records, Stark County, Ohio. Page 82. Augustus Gruissy and Esther B. Wolf married on 6 December 1868 by Justice of the Peace J. M. Truly. 
• 1870 United States Census, Village of West Lebanon, Paint Township, Wayne County, Ohio, Line 27, Page 28. The August Gurnsey family.
• 1880 U.S. Census, Medina County, Ohio; 1880; Vol 44, E.D. 199, Sheet 41; Line 26; National Archives, Pittsfield Region, Mass., T767Roll48; Note: Augustus Gruissy, Wife Esther, 5 daughters, living in Wadsworth Twp. 
• Family interviews, Gruissy letters, etc.

Related Posts:

• Augustus Ceaser Gruissy
• Esther Barbara Wolf Gruissy
• Bible of Esther Barbara Wolf Gruissy