97 Years

Here we are at week 16 of this blogging challenge. This week the prompt is 'live long'. In going through my tree the longest living ancestor that I could find is my 2nd great grandfather John Calvin Jones. I've written about his mother, Mattie Teel (twice), and his grandfather Bradberry Teel, both of which I know very little about. Now it's his turn.

John Calvin Jones was born July 28, 1860 in Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia. As I have written before, his mother was Mattie Teal but his father's name is unkown. I actually have no records even placing John Calvin with his mother, but after speaking with my great Aunt Frances, she said Mattie's will leaves everything to John Calvin and she refers to him as "my only son". Aunt Frances says this will is from a copy that is a part of her 'Cousins Book' that was put together many years ago by a few of her cousins, John Calvin's grandchildren.

The first record I have found for John Calvin Jones is his marriage certificate from Oct 1881, where he married my 2nd great grandmother Leona Bass. My great aunt Frances remembers her grandfather calling his wife "Loni" . Leona Bass was the daughter of James Martin and Maggie (Miller) Bass. John Calvin and Leona were married in Cooke County, TX, which is right on the TX/OK border.

Leona's family ends up in Moore, Pottawatomie, OK, in 1900 and that same year, John Calvin, Leona with ten children are found in Wheeler County TX.  On May 19, 1899 there is a John C. Jones appointed as post master in Mobeetie, Wheeler, Texas - I suspect this to be him, but I can't be certain. Using birth information for their children I can trace this family's movements during the 20  years between marriage certificate and the 1900 census.

Lou Jones (daugheter) was born about 1882 in TX
Mamie V. Jones (daughter) was born in Clay County, TX about 1883
Mattie Jones (daughter) was born about 1885 in TX
James Calvin Jones (son) was born in 1887 in Clay County TX
Claude Jones (son) was born in 1889 in Mobeetie, Wheeler County, TX
Ben Masterson Jones (son) was born in 1891 in TX
Thomas Frank Jones (son) born in 1893 in Mobeetie, Wheeler County, TX
John Arthur Jones (son) (my great-grandfather) born in 1895 in Mobeetie, Wheeler, TX
Jasper Helton Jones (son) born in 1897 in Mobeetie, Wheeler County, TX
Fannie Leigh (daughter) born in 1900 in TX
Emma Belle (daughter) born in 1902 in TX
William M (son) born in 1904 in TX


So sometime between their Cooke County marriage and the 1900 Wheeler County census they were living in Clay County, TX

In 1908 there is still a John C. Jones on the Mobeetie, Wheeler County, Tax list but in July of 1907 John Calvin's wife, Leona, applied for membership (and was denied) into the Cherokee Nation and in her papers she lists her residence as Guthrie, Texas, in King County. By 1910 John Calvin, Leona and all of their children besides Lou are found in Knox County right next door. The next 10 years would be full of loss for John Calvin. In 1913 his son Ben died at the age of 22, then the next year his oldest daughter Lou died at the age of 31, then three years later he lost his wife of 36 years at the age of 50 - cause of death, general break down. Then in 1919 his mother Mattie died. In 1920, widower John Calvin, is found living in Potter, Texas, as the manager of a road gang with three of his children, Mamie, Fanny Leigh and William.

The thing about living a long time is you tend to bury a lot of your loved ones. In 1925 John Calvin would bury another daughter, Emma Belle. She was only 22. Cause of death is listed as pneumonia.

In 1930 John Calvin is living back in Knox County with his daughter Mamie and son William, where he would live for the next 10 years. During that 10 years he would sadly bury 3 more children, Fannie Leigh in 1937, Claude in 1938 (from cancer) and in 1940 my great grandfather, John Arthur in a train/automobile accident.

Not long after the death of my great grandfather, John Arthur, after the family moved back to Truscott from San Antonio, John Calvin came to live with his daughter-in-law, my great grandmother, Lurie Myrtle, and her children. My great aunt Frances and her brother Edwin had already married their spouses and were out of the house, but my grandmother Winnie Sue and her siblings Charles and Myrtle Lou were still living at home. I can remember my grandmother Sue telling me stories of her Grandpa Jones sneaking her candy through the bedroom window. In a recent conversation with Frances, she confirmed this story. She said my grandmother was always his favorite, probably because she would always play dominoes with him. She said that during that time, because they lived so close to the school house, my grandmother and her siblings would come home from school for lunch and when they'd leave to go back to school, Grandpa Jones would open his window and say "Sister, come here" and he'd give her candy, until his daughter-in-law found out and put a stop to it! Frances also remembered that John Calvin hated cats! She said that her mother, Lurie Myrtle, had a cat and he would always kick at it until she told him, "Pa, that's our cat." Then he never kicked at it again.

In 1957 John Calvin Jones finally was laid to rest with only 4 (possibly 5, I can't find many records for his daughter Mattie) of his 12 children outliving him. He lived only a few days past his 97th birthday, departing this life on July 31st. Cause of death is said to have been a heart attack (Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease ). He is buried in Truscott Cemetery in Texas with his wife and mother and several of their children.



I know so little about this family and it is my hope that some of my grandmother's cousins and/or their descendants will somehow find this and contact me. I would love to know more about my Jones line.

Until next week,
Becky

And don't forget to check out these other great genealogy blogs Days of Our Lives and Untangled Family Roots.

More than two years later and I have made contact with a JONES cousin via AncestryDNA. She descends from John Calvin's son Thomas Franklin. She has shared a lot with me and I am beyond grateful. Thomas Franklin Jones was the family historian and if it weren't for him many records and images would be lost to us forever. I did want to post this wonderful picture shared with me here on this blog post.

Back Row Standing: Mattie, Mamie, *Nettie Williams (friend and school teacher), and Lou
John Calvin and Leona are seated
Bottom Row: Claude, Johnny, Frank, baby Jasper, Jim & Ben.
Photo taken late 1897 or early 1898



How DO You Spell That?

Hey there dear reader! We're on week 14 of the 52 Ancestors genealogy challenge and the prompt is just what the title says - 'How do you spell that?". ... I am not as excited about this post because it won't have many stories just facts or speculated facts. I started this whole blogging challenge with my 3rd great grandmother "Mattie" Teal/Teel/Teele - and since there are so many variation on how to spell her maiden name, I thought I would go back one generation and write about her father, Bradberry Teel/Teele/Teal.

I'm going to start in the middle with the 1850 census because it is the only record that places my Martha with her family - this census is my anchor for this line. According to the 1850 census Bradberry Teele was born about 1786 in North Carolina. That year he and his family were living in Russell County, AL. His household is listed as number 143 and living with him is his wife Nancy (Robinson) Teele born about 1807 in North Carolina, a daughter Kipiah age 17, a son, Bradberry age 15, my Martha age 12, John age 10, and Vesty age 8.

Two households down is one of Bradberry's other daughters Lucinda (Teele) Tillery with her husband William and 5 children. The household between the Teel's and Wm. Tillery is of a Rebecca Tillery. Evidence that Lucinda is Bradberry's daughter comes from probate records of his will, in which his surname is spelled Teel, being contested by "William Tillery in right of his wife, Lucinda Tillery" others mentioned are Arnold Teel, JD Hadley in right of his wife, Minta D. Hadley, Jesse Holt in right of his wife, Louisa Holt, and Riley S. Calloway in right of his wife, Polly Calloway.

Bradberry's marriage record spells his surname as Teal. He and Nancy were married 25 September 1825 in Newton County, GA. - Indexes place their marriage in Jasper County. I'm not sure why.

In 1830 "Brdbery Teal" is still living in Newton County with a household of eleven. There are two boys under the age of five, two boys of the age of 5 but under 10, one male of the age of 50 but under 60 (Bradberry). There is also one girl under the age of 5, two girls of the age of 10 but under 15, two girls of the age of 15 but under the age of 20 and one female of the age of 20 but under the age of 30 (Nancy). The ages of the children listed tells me he was probably married before Nancy. And the fact that there is about a 20 year age difference also makes me lean that way. Was Nancy married before him?? - My Martha isn't born yet - so I can rest easy in knowing that Bradberry and Nancy are her parents.  *Note* There is a William Calloway on the same page... is this his future son-in-law or his family?

In 1840 the family has migrated to Russell County, AL. The surname is Teel (Transcribed on Ancestry as Tul). There is one boy under the age of five (Bradberry Jr), three boys who are five to ten and one male who is 50-60 (Bradberry). There is also on girl under the age of five (my Martha), two who are five to ten (Kipiah and Mary "Polly"), one who is 15-20 (Lucinda), two who are 20-30 and one who is 30-40 (Nancy). *Note* The household right before Bradberry's is of Rebecca Tillery - is this Lucinda's mother-in-law?

In 1860 in Russell County is a B Teel (Transcribed on Ancestry as Tell) age 74 living with a female N Teel age 47 and a female C A Teel who is 9 years old. Again right above Bradberry is a Tillery - but this time it is a 6 year old female living with a P E Wells family. Her initials are hard to make out - definitely the first is an S the second may be a J.

The last records I have of Bradberry are his probate records. The earliest date is from Oct 1862 meaning he died sometime before then. In all of his probate records the surname is spelled Teel..

In compiling my tree with his children and their descendants, I have seen the last name spelled or transcribed as Till, Keil, Teil, Teele, Teel, Teal, Teale, Theil, Tul, and Tell.


Now enough with just bare bone facts... let's add a touch of interesting to this story... READ TO THE BOTTOM OF PAGE.

Bradberry Teel is presumed to be the son of Bradberry Teel Sr. who was married to Mary Delouch. There was an article in a local (local to where I have no idea) newspaper about a Hymn book, printed in London in 1722 given to the local library. The book burned in a fire in 1910. All that exists is what the writer of the article mentioned that he could read:

Francis Meeks, b. Sept. 27, 1765
Robert Teel...no dates
Amos Teel, b. Jan. 15, 1833
Laney Teel, dau. of Bradberry and Mary Teel, b. Nov. 7, 1780
James Teel, son of Bradberry and Mary Teel, b.Aug. 5, 1777
Abraham Deloach, son of Mary Deloach, b. July 21, 1775
Ann Deloach, dau. of James Deloach, b. Aug. 2, 1768
Another child of James Deloach, b. 1766

My Bradberry is not mentioned....

But the above Bradberry Sr got  himself in trouble passing counterfeit money. The punishment was unbelievable.

Here are the transcribed records:
North Carolina - Pitt County "Criminal Action Papers, New Bern District, 1785-1789." D.S.C.R. 206.326.2 in NC Archives

Loose documents including one of the counterfeit shilling pieces. Matthias Moore esquire personally appeared before me one of the Justices for aforesaid county and complained on oath that on the 30th day of April ... Instant: Bradberry Teal of Pitt County did pass unto him the said Matthias counterfeit twenty shilling bills no. 1071, one ten (shilling) no. 3868, which is against the laws of our state aforesaid - These are therefore in the name of the State to command you to take the body of the aforesaid Bradberry Teal and himself keep so that you have him before one of the justices aforesaid to keep the peace in and for the County of Pitt aforesaid- Given under my hand and seal at Greenville 30th of April 1789 to lawful officer to execute and return summons on the part of the State. Jn Moye J.P. Mathias Moore esquire John Bowers esquire William Northcut and William Jones of Beaufort County now being in Pitt.
Jn. Moye J.P.

Warrant State vs Bradberry Teal - warrant The defendant committed to the goal for the District of New Bern the witnesses bound in recognizances to appear the 30th April 1789. Jn Moye J.P. Executed: Thos. Warson Conbl. (Constable?)

North Carolina - Pitt County Personally appeared before me the subscriber one of the justices assigned to keep the peace in and for the aforesaid county William Northcut, Junior; William Northcut, Sen. and Drury Nobles all of the county aforesaid and acknowledged themselves indebted? to the State of North Carolina in the following sums, William Northcut, Jun. five hundred pounds currency; William Northcut, Sen and Drury Nobles two hundred and fifty pounds each to be levied (sic) on their respective good _______lands and tenements in case ______be made in the condition hereafter written - The conditions of the above recognizance is that if the above-named William Northcut, Jun shall will and truly make his personal appearance before the judges of the Superior Court of Law and Equity to be held in the District of New Bern at the Courthouse in New Bern on the 20th day of ______(cut off). Instant (Instruct?) then and there attend said Court as an evidence in behalf of the State against Bradberry Teal committed for passing counterfeit money and not depart without leave first had and attained then these recognizances (aforesaid). Acknowledged before me 1st day of May A Dom (Anno Domini) 1789 and 13th year of our Independency. Jn Moye J.P.
North Carolina - Pitt County Personally| appeared before me, the subscriber one of the justices assigned to keep the peace in and for the County aforesaid. Matthias Moore esquire, John Bowers esquire, William Jones lately? from Beaufort County, Richard Moye esquire, Cornelius Patrick and John Jolley all of the County of Pitt aforesaid and acknowledged themselves indebted to the State of North Carolina in the following sums - Mathias Moore esquire one hundred pounds currency. John Bowers esquire one hundred pounds ? and William Jones one hundred pounds, and the aforesaid Richard Moye esquire, Cornelius Patrick and John Lolley fifty pounds currency each to be paid? respectively on their good chattles? lands and tenements in case ______be made in the condition hereafter written - The condition of the above recognizances is that if the above named Matthias Moore, John Bowers, and William Jones shall will and truly make there personal appearance before the judges of the Superior Court of Law and Equity to be held for the District of New Bern at the Courthouse in New Bern on the 20th day of May next, then and there attend said court as evidence in behalf of the State aforesaid against Bradberry Teal committed for passing counterfeit money and not depart without leave. First had and obtained then these recognizances paid?- Acknowledged before me 30th day of April A. Dom. 1789 - and 13 year of our Independency. John Moye J.P.
New Bern District Co Superior Court of the May term 1789. The jurors for the State upon their oath present that Bradberry Teal late of Pitt County, planter, on the thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine and in the thirteenth year of the Independency of the State, with force and arms in the County and District aforesaid, one bill? of false money counterfeited to the likeness and similitude of the good and true bills? of credit of the denomination of ten shilling bills, emitted aforesaid? to one act of the General Assembly passed at Hillsborough the seventeenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, unlawfully, knowingly, falsely and feloniously did write and pass to one William Jones, as and for a true bill the said Bradberry Teal then and there knowing the bill by him so altered and passed as aforesaid to have been false and counterfeit against the Act of the General Assembly in that case made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State. A. Moore
Attn Gen
New Bern District, Minutes of Superior Court. D.S.C.R. 206.301.1 NC Archives p. 506 The State vs. Bradbury Teale Wednesday, May 27, 1789 The jury finds the defendant guilty in manner and form. Jury of: 1. James Easton 7. Caleb Penny 2. Abraham Dudley 8. William Swan 3. George Dennison 9. Henry Bonner 4. Charles Crawford 10. Newell Bell 5. Southey Rue 11. William Shepard 6. Richard Cogdell 12. Reuben Wallace

p. 508
Friday, May 29, 1789
The Sentence: The State vs. Bradbury Teel Present the honorable Samuel Ashe, Samuel Spencer, John Williams, Esquires. Passing counterfeit money. The prisoner being sett to the Bar was asked if he had any reason to show why the judgment of the law should not be inflicted on him, saith nothing. The Court proceed(ed) to pass sentence in the following manner to wit that he stand in the pillory one hour, have one of his ears cut off, receive 39 lashes, remain in the jail two months without bail or main prize and forfeit one half of his property to the State to be executed this afternoon.Well folks, that's all I have for this ancestor.

Until next week,
Becky

Please check out my sister-n-law's blog over at Days of Our Lives and a distant cousin of mine's blog over at Untangled Family Roots!

 

Martha "Mattie" Teal - Fresh Start

In 2015 -  thanks to my SIL who shared this post with me - I hope to blog about 52 of my ancestors in 52 weeks.

The first week's theme is "fresh start". I feel I have an ancestor that meets this criteria quite well, for I could use a fresh start on her and from what I know of her, soon after her first marriage and the birth of her son in 1860, her husband UNKNOWN Jones died, and she had to make a fresh start by remarrying a Mack Hughes, and moving west. I am not certain if she married Mr. Hughes before the move west or after.

I've spent years trying to find the parents of my 2nd great grandfather, John Calvin Jones, until recently when my father's cousin sent me some information from a 'cousins book' that was compiled by a few of my grandmother's cousins. It's actually not a book, but a binder with information and pictures that they were able to piece together. Imagine my joy when she told me they knew John Calvin's mother's name. You can't imagine how difficult it was trying to use census records to find the family of a man with such a common given and surname. The following is from their records:

"According to family information, John Calvin was born in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia, 28 July 1860. His father's name is unknown. A family story is told that he died or was killed during the Civil War when John C. was a young child. John Calvin's mother was Martha Teal. She was born 4 July 1841 (1838?) in Georgia. Her parents were Bradberry Teal Sr. and Nancy Robinson who married in Jasper County, Georgia, 22 Sept 1825. Bradberry was born about 1796 in North Carolina and Nancy was born about 1807 in North Carolina"

I'm hoping through this blog post, I may be able to ascertain who her first husband was or, even better, to find more records for her. I may make this a 2 part series, starting with what I know now and ending with what I learn along the way. For now, meet Martha "Mattie" Teal/Teel:

 

Notice this picture was taken in Mobeetie, Texas. Wheeler County was created 21 August 1876 from Bexar and Young Land Districts and was organized in 1879. County seat: Mobeetie (formerly Sweetwater)(1879-1906); Wheeler (1906-present). Wheeler County was the first to be organized in the Panhandle area, and 14 other counties were attached to it for judicial purposes until 1881. Sweetwater was established in 1876 as a trading post.

Mattie was born in Georgia on the 4th of July 1838, to Bradberry and Nancy (Robinson) Teal. I first find her living in Russell, AL, in the 1850 census with her parents and the following siblings: Kipiah  (17), Bradberry Jr. (15), John (10) and Vesty (8).

The above is the only record I have found so far that I feel certain is her. Her family is found in two places: Russell Co. Alabama, and Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia. These two places are less than 5 miles apart. In 1860 in Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia I find a Martha Teal (19) living with a R S Calloway (31), Mary Calloway (26), and a Barty T Teal (16). This could very well be her, considering her son, John Calvin Jones, was born in Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia that very year and her brother (?), Burrel K Teel was married to a Calloway. But why isn't her last name listed as Jones? Was she not married to John Calvin's father? **New information** In the estate papers of Bradbury Teel in Russell Co. Alabama several heirs are mentioned contesting his will. There is an Arnold Teel, JD Hadley on behalf of his wife Minta D Hadley, William Tillery on behalf of his wife Lucinda Tillery, Jesse Holt on behalf of his wife Louise Holt, and Riley S Calloway on behalf of his wife Polly. This new information makes me certain that the above census is my Mattie living with her sister Mary "Polly" (Teel) Calloway.

Keeping in mid that John Calvin was born the 28 of July 1860 in Columbus, Muscogee, GA, and that the enumeration date for the 1860 census was 2 months earlier on 1 June 1860, if I search the 1860 Georgia census for a 'Martha Jones' I should be able to deduce who his father was, but I can't be certain. I did find a record for Martha's sister, "Kissie",  who married 2 years earlier, a Christopher Columbus Jones in Russell Co, Alabama. This makes this location a possibility for the young family as well. My grandmother's cousins suspected that Martha could've married one of her BIL's siblings but I don't think that John Calvin's dad was a brother of his Uncle Columbus Jones. The reason being that their death dates are all too late in life. For the story to match up they would've needed to have died in the 1860's early 1870's and none did except for one who was 17, Theron Sherrad Jones.   I found in 1860 in Russell, AL an Uriah and Martha Jones both 21 years of age. But keep in mind Martha at this point in 1860 is 7 months pregnant and baby John Calvin ends up being born in Columbus, Muscogee, GA. But then again, as I stated before, these two communities are only 5 miles away by today's maps. In Columbus, Muscogee, GA, the only Martha Jones I find is one who is 24 and living with 8 other Jones', the oldest being Female and 27. There are two possible men that could be her spouse, one is 26 yr old James the other 22 year old George W. They are all listed as 'Factory Operators' and this seemed odd to me so I did a little research and found that there was a Clapp Factory  with a village and cemetery. Since, John Calvin's dad is said to have died when Calvin was young. Maybe he's buried there?

I have also NEVER found any records for Mattie and her second husband 'Mack' Hughes. Mattie's brother, Bradberry Jr ends up moving to Texas, where my John Calvin and his mother spend the remainder of their days.  I found her brother with his family in Precinct 1, Cass Co., Texas in 1880. Also, in this same location is a Martin T Hughes and Martha Hughes and several children with the oldest being a John Hughes (17).... is this my John Calvin with his mother and step-father?

John Calvin ends up marrying my 2g grandmother, Leona Bass, in 1891 in Cooke Co. Texas. I have searched those communities around that date and haven't found any evidence that I feel is close enough to be John Calvin or his mother, Mrs Hughes. It's such a misfortune that the 1890 census was burned up.

At the end of this road is Mrs. Mattie Hughes being buried in the same cemetery as her son, John Calvin Jones. You can find them in Truscott Cemetery, Knox Co. Texas. There are no other Hughes in this cemetery. I've often wondered if John had any half or step siblings and was Mack his step-father's name or a nickname **New Information: It's speculated that Mac Hughes real name was Anguish McAllister Hughes - no records as of yet to prove this**. John Calvin's own death record lists both his parent's names as UNKNOWN. So this ancestor will remain a puzzle with several pieces missing I'm afraid. I do wish I could get a copy of this cousins book. I am forever grateful for the snapshots of useful information that my distant cousin sent to me via a Facebook message.

She sent me picture of John Calvin and a bit of information surrounding the image triggered my memory of a story that I can remember my grandmother, her Aunt, telling me. Apparently, Mrs. Mattie Hughes was a regular Annie Oakley.  She owned a gun with an octagon barrel and it was stated that she could shoot a white button from 100 yards away.


Also be sure to check out my SIL's  'Fresh Start' post.