Thursday, June 16, 2011

Margaret Lea McConnell Birth Announcement



Mine and my cousin Tammy's birth announcement from 20 June, 1966. Happy Birthday to us!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

William Dowdy

WILLIAM DOWDY was born Bef. 1775 in South Carolina, and died December 1844 in Stewart Co., Tennessee. His family were members of the McKendree Church in Stewart County. The Dowdy's owned vast amounts of land in the county and were slave owners.

Will of William Dowdy - Dec 1841 - Stewart Co. TN
In the name of God Amen, I William Dowdy of the County of Stewart and State of Tennessee, Planter, do make and publish this my Last will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. And first I direct that my body be decently interred at the grave yard in my own farm where I now live in said County, in a manner suitable to my condition in Life, and as to such worldly estate as it has pleased God to Intrust me with, I dispose of the said as follows - FIRST - I direct that all my debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible out of any monies that I may die possessed of or may first come into the hands of my Executors from any part of my estate Real or personal. SECONDLY - I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter Lucy L.T. Dowdy, that part of my farm that my dwelling house stands on beginning on a beech tree standing on the west bank of Grices creek about one hundred and twenty steps below the Meeting House running a straight line from said beech so as to run through the middle of the spring and on to the west boundary line and also one Negro girl named Casandy, about nine or ten years of age and also my cupboard and all the furniture belonging to me, this negro and cupboard and furniture is in order to make her lot of negroes equal with the highest Lot of negroes and for her kind services to me in my affliction. THIRDLY - I give and bequeath unto my daughter Armestry (Armeena?)Stanfill the other part of my land beginning on he beech mentioned above which is marked with the letters A R on one side and the letters double ell on the other side with H between them then running with the above line to the west boundary line which line is the dividing line between the two lots of land all lying on the west side of said creek, also a negro woman by the name of Tilda thirty years old and a girl about sixteen years old and one about six years old named Mary and a boy eight months old named Henry. FOURTHLY - I give and bequeath to my daughter Eveline W. Balthrop a Lot of Land Lying on the east side of Grices Creek beginning on the east bank of said creek where William H. Dowdy's line crosses said creek thence east with said line to a white oak on the East boundary line in the edge of the old coaling thence south to a black gum thence west to Grices Creek, it being part of the said farm all of which on the east side of said creek it being on the north boundary of Parchment's land also a negro woman named Nancy about eighteen years old and her two children the oldest named Tilda the younger a boy named George about eight years old and a girl named Frances about seven years old. FIFTHLY - I give and bequeath unto my daughter Lucy R. Milan one Lot of Land lying on the west side of Grices creek containing one hundred and eight acres known by the name of the Wickam Tract also I give her one hundred and fifty dollars to make her lot of land equal with the other lots of land to be paid out of my estate. SIXTHLY - I give and bequeath to my son William H Dowdy one negro boy named Edmund about twelve years old to make his lot equal with the highest lot of negroes. SEVENTHLY - I give and bequeath unto my son James G. Dowdy one hundred and sixty two dollars and fifty cents to make his lot of negroes equal with the highest lot of negroes. EIGHTHLY - I give and bequeath unto my son John C. Dowdy one hundred and sixty two dollars and fifty cents to make his lot of negroes equal with the highest lot of negroes. NINTHLY - I give and bequeath unto Gideon Milam one dollar considering that with what I have given him to be his share of my estate. TENTHLY - all my personal estate I wish to be sold on a credit and after the above lots of property are made equal the balance to be equally divided between my seven children namely James G. Dowdy, Lucy R. Milam, Lucy L.T.Dowdy, William H. Dowdy, John C. Dowdy, Armeena Stanfill, Eveline W. Balthrop. I do hereby ordain and appoint my esteemed son William H. Dowdy and George W. Stanfill my son in law, Executors of this my Last Will and Testament, in witness whereof I William Dowdy the said Testator to this my will, written on one sheet of paper set my hand and seal this day of December in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-one. Signed Sealed in presents of us who William Dowdy (seal) have subscribed in the presents of the Testator and of each other. Test: Jesse Parchmen Jacob Parchment A. A. Brown State of Tennessee, Stewart County January term 1845. The above instrument of writing purporting to be the Last will and Testament of William dowdy deceased was presented in open court and the Execution thereof duly proven by the oath of Jacob Parchment subscribing witness thereto and the same is ordered to be recorded Test: W. Cook, Clerk of Stewart County


JAMES G. DOWDY, b. 1795, South Carolina.
9,10,11,12,13,14 was born 1795 in South Carolina.

Married (1) MARTHA MILAM. She was born 1810 in North Carolina.

URIAH GREEN DOWDY, b. 1828, Tennessee.

Married (2) MARTHA POWERS15,16,17 April 10, 1848 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee18,19. She was born 1810 in North Carolina20.

ARTHUR JAMES3 DOWDY21,22, b. 1850, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

LUCY L.T. DOWDY, 23,24 was born 1801 in South Carolina.

Married (1) WILLIAM C. DOWDY. He was born 1815 in ,Tennessee, and died June 20, 1837 in Hickman Co., Kentucky25.

WATSON T DOWDY28, b. 1833, Hickman Co., Kentucky;

Married ARLEAN ALLBRIGHT28, September 22, 1856, Montgomery Co., Tennessee29; b. 1836, Tennessee.

FANNY REBECCA DOWDY30, b. 1836, Hickman Co., Kentucky.

GEORGE WILLIAM DOWDY30, b. 1837, Hickman Co., Kentucky.

Married (2) ARTHUR N. POWERS26 December 30, 1845 in Stewart Co., Tennessee27. He was born 1799 in North Carolina.


WILLIAM H. DOWDY,
31,32,33,34 was born 1803 in South Carolina.

Married (1) MASINDA35. She was born 1824 in Tennessee.

NANCY DOWDY, b. Abt. 1823.

MARINDA DOWDY 37, b. 1824, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

LOCKEY DOWDY 37,38, b. 1825, Stewart Co., Tennessee;

Married SAMUEL DONNEL39, July 31, 1854, Stewart Co., Tennessee39,40; b. Abt. 1825.

LOUISA DOWDY41,42, b. 1830, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
CULLEN DOWDY
43,44, b. 1843, Stewart Co., Tennessee;

Married ELIZABETH BONNEL45, August 11, 1854, Stewart Co., Tennessee; b. Abt. 1843.

Married (2) ELIZABETH DONNEL August 11, 1854 in Stewart Co., Tennessee36. She was born Abt. 1815.


JOHN C. DOWDY,
45,46,47,48,49 was born 1806 in North Carolina50.

Married (1) ____________

JOHN3 DOWDY56, b. 1838, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

THEORA DOWDY57,58, b. 1840, Stewart Co., Tennessee;

Married BENJAMIN K. PARCHMAN59, November 28, 1857, Stewart Co., Tennessee60; b. 1837, Tennessee.

TENNESSEE DOWDY61,62, b. 1842, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

Married (2) LUCINDA MARTIN51,52,53 July 28, 1849 in Montgomery Co., Tennessee54,55. She was born 1822 in Tennessee56.

WILLIAM DOWDY63,64, b. 1850, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

CAROLINE DOWDY65,66, b. 1852.

WARREN DOWDY67,68, b. 1853, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

HENRY DOWDY69,70, b. 1857, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

DORSEY DOWDY71,72, b. 1859, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

EVELINE W. DOWDY6, b. Abt. 1810; m. E.S. BALDTHRISS, March 12, 1839, Stewart Co., Tennessee7; b. Abt. 1810.

LUCY R. DOWDY8, b. Abt. 1812; m. MILAM; b. Abt. 1812.

ARMEENA DOWDY, 73,74 was born 1820 in Tennessee.

Married GEORGE STANFILL74. He was born 1797 in Tennessee.

ARBELLA STANFILL74, b. 1837, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
ELISABETH STANFILL
74, b. 1839, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
MANIUS STANFILL
74, b. 1841, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
WASHINGTON STANFILL
74, b. 1841, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
WILLIAM STANFILL
74, b. 1845, Stewart Co., Tennessee.
FLORENCE STANFILL
74, b. 1847, Stewart Co., Tennessee.

Joseph Joshua Hicks

Joseph Joshua Hicks
ca. 1917

Joseph Joshua Hicks was born 29 January, 1897 in Stewart County Tennessee. He was the first child of Reverend Daniel Cary Hicks and Lousia Bailey Hicks. Joseph married Ethel Cherry in 1918 and to this union two children were born; Blanche Hicks born 9 Sept 1919 and Robert (Bobby) Joe Hicks born in 1936. Joseph and Ethel were divorced in 1939 under what was reported to have been "very cruel" circumstances.
After his divorce, Joseph moved to Roseland, Arkansas to work. He also lived in Jonesboro Arkansas where in a few years he would pass from this life.He had written a series of letters to his mother that become in the possession of Robert K. Hicks. (These will be posted on this site)
Joseph died in a tragic explosion that occured while he was filling a stove with kerosene on 17 Feb 1948. He apparently jumped out of a window while on fire. He succumbed of his burns the following day. His body was brought back to Stewart county and he is buried in Neville's Creek Cemetery.
Mr. Robert Hicks found a hand written obituary for Joseph that read as follows:

Joseph Joshua Hicks, son of the late Rev. and Mrs D. C. Hicks, born Jan 29 1897, departed this life Feb 18 1948 at the age of 51 years. At the time of his death he was employed as an engineer by the Pierce Williams Co. Jonesboro, Ark.
Surviving are two children, Mrs Max Carney and Mr. Robert J. Hicks, mother Mrs Lousia Hicks, four brothers, S. E. Hicks, C. F. Hicks, Basil V. Hicks and Rev. Irl R. Hicks, four sisters, Mrs. Iris Sills, Mrs. Roy Garland, Mrs H. B. Knight and Mrs. G. W. Crutcher.


Joseph Joshua Hicks Headstone
Neville's Creek Cemetery
Stewart County, Tennessee

Monday, June 13, 2011

Looking for Nancy Joiner's Parents

Who were Nancy Joiner's parents?
Very little is known of Nancy, but I have determined these few facts. From various census records, we know that Nancy was born ca 1809 and was part Choctaw Indian. She married Lawerance M. Manning and they lived in Stewart County.
After Lawerance died on 7 Oct 1849, We find that in the 1850 census, Nancy had 1 Negro slave girl age 19 living with her. In 1860 she was living with her daughter Mary Jane Manning Stalls and her husband William FBC Stalls.
There is no other information about Nancy. She was my gr gr great grandmother. I do not know when she died or if she ever remarried.
Speculation is that Nancy's father may have been Roderick Joiner who died in Stewart County in 1833. Court records show that Nancy's husband Lawerance had a administrators bond for one Roderick Joiner 2 Nov 1833.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.