Sunday, October 30, 2011

Zilpha Emily Eleanor Eddins Pope Freeman

So many names! So many birthdates! Just two of the reasons she's so hard to find.

Zilpha is the daughter of James A. and Nancy Ann Hendricks Eddins/Edins. She's probably the fourth daughter and seventh child. She was named after her delightful grandmother Zilpha Eddins, widow of John, who married a much younger man late in life. Her birth year is confusing: she was born in

• 1821 according to the 1850 Census for AL

• 1826 according to Bob Eddings, moderator of the Eddings list at Genforum.com.

• 1829 in the 1860 Census

• 1830 in the 1880 Census

• 1835 in the 1870 Census

In the 1830 Census for AL, she is probably one of the under 5 females enumerated in the household of James A. Edens of Wilcox County, AL. In the 1840 Census she is probably one of the females 10 - 15 enumerated in the household of J. A. Eddings in Tallapoosa County, AL. The 1840 Census is important because so many of the neighbors show up in the later lives of the Eddins.

In Zilpha's case, one important neighbor may be Jacob Rope, AKA Jacob Rape or Reeb. Jacob's daughter Matilda married Daniel Beaver/Beavis in Tallapoosa County before 1850. In the 1850 Tallapoosa Census Emily Rope who is living in the household of Daniel Beaver may be the same person as Zilpha Eddins. Emily Rope's daughter Martha, age 3, would then be Martha Jane Pope, whose birthdates are also confusing!

In 1849 Francis M. Freeman married Ellender Pope. Here's the source:

http://files.usgwarchives.org/al/tallapoosa/vitals/marriages/groomd-h.txt

That's where my knowledge of the name Eleanor comes from. Also, several censuses list Zylpha as Z. E. Freeman. For example, in the 1860 US Census for AL, Francis M. Freema is living in Beat 8, Realtown P.O., Western Division, Tallapoosa County. He is 28, a mechanic, born GA, $300. Next is listed Zylpha E. Freema. She is 39, born AL. Also in the household is Martha T., 23, Francis M(arion)., 21, a farmer, and William H, 19, all born AL. They are living next door to Zilpha's sister Ann Susannah Eddins Rice (Rix) and family. Up the street is Freeman's relative Elijah Freeman & family, Zilpha's nephew Peter Eddens with Henry J. Rise (Rix), Harrison, Echols, Martha (Helton) Freeman, Nancy Freeman, 70, Tabitha Baird, Susan Freeman, 70, with Joseph Davis, 17--all relatives or people who are familiar in Zilpha's life.


In the 1870 US Census for AL, Z. E. Freeman is living in Oak Bowery, Chambers County, AL. She is 45, female, keeping house, living in the household of F. M. Poke or Pope, a farmer, $550, born AL. Also in the household are Ann Edwin, 20, born AL, at home; Martha Poke or Pope, 20, born AL, and Nancy Eddins, 70, at home, born AL. Black neighbors: Blosengame, Moore, Prince, Dowdeth; Wilson; white neighbors: Kelly, Waldrop, Jeter.

In the 1880 US Census for Al, Z. A. Freeman is living in Opelika, Lee County, AL. She is 50 born AL, parents born SC, has rheumatism, can read & write. Also in the household are M(artha) J(ane) Pope, 25, parents born SC., son F(rancis) M(arion) Pope, 23, clerk in a junk shop, N(ancy) Edins, 84, widowed, born SC, parents born SC; sister-in-law A. M. Edins, 30 or 38, sewing, born SC, father born SC, mother born KY; and Neil Gilmore, laborer & servant, born AL, parents born AL. Neighbors: Wilkerson, Smith, Harris, Hightower, Tucker, Slaughter, Moore, Simms, Frazier.

Right place, right time, because Opelika, Lee County, is just "up the street" from Reeltown and Walnut Hill in Tallapoosa County.

Zilpha seems to disappear after the 1880 Census. She may have remarried, but she probably died and is buried in Opelika, Lee County, or Chambers or Tallapoosa County. Haven't found her on Findagrave.com, but will look for her next time I go to AL. She is definitely not in the household in 1900, where we find Martha Jane, Marian, and William living in Opelika, Lee County. Martha Jane and Marian are still together in 1910 in Opelika, but William H. is not in the household. He's probably the William H. Pope, born 1840, buried in Rosemere Cemetery in Opelika; maybe he died between 1900 and 1910.

The final version of Zilpha's name comes from Martha Jane's death certificate:

According to Ancestry’s Alabama Death & Burial Index, 1881 - 1974, Martha Jane Pope was born about 1838, died 1917, father’s name William H. Pope, mother’s name Ellen Edine. Death place Opelika, Lee County, AL.

Zilpha.

Ellender Pope.

Possibly Emily Rope.

Zylpha E. Freema.

Z. E. Freeman.

Z. A. Freeman.

Ellen Edine.

One woman. Many names and dates. I bet she would have been a hoot to know!






Saturday, October 1, 2011

Happy connections

What fun!

Another descendant of the McGuire/Edins line has contacted me. Jane is my third cousin once removed as far as I can tell. Her grandmother and my great-grandmother were sisters. Their parents were Simmin and Mary Drusilla McGuire Edins.

Looking forward to making new discoveries with you, Jane!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Flotsam and jetsam

Middle initials:

Simmin A. Eddins, son.

Blakely A. Eddins, father.

James A. Eddins, grandfather.


All have the middle initial "A." But what does it stand for? The only one we know for sure is Simmin. It's Simmin Aaron Eddins/Edins. The other men's middle names are a mystery.

We know for sure that Blakely's middle intial is "A" because it's on his grave marker. (Thanks, Cuz, for the confirmation.) But what it stands for? Could be "Aaron," just like his son's. But no clues and no proof.

There are several theories as to what the "A" in James A. Eddins stands for. Linda Robertson says that it stands for "Allen." (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~everyoneged/ourancestry.html#John%20Eddins) My dear cuz thinks that it could stand for "Aaron," just like Simmon. My own theory is that it stands for "Albert" or "Albertus" for a Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex ancestor.

Anybody have any proof?

Next:

It's a challenge to look for Eddins relatives because the name has been spelled so many ways. For example:

Eddins

Edins

Edens

Eddings

Edings

Edinger


Don't get me started on the Hendrixes:


Hendrix

Hendricks

Hendrickx

Hendrex

Hendrick

Headon





Saturday, February 5, 2011

Where they lived

There's a website with new material that I will follow with interest:

http://gsofea.org/

That's the Genealogical Society of East Alabama, covering the counties of Chambers, Lee, Macon, Russell, and Tallapoosa Counties. They are now publishing material on line that's previously been printed in their Tap Roots magazine, mostly marriage and cemetery information. For instance, Tallapoosa, Lee, and Chambers Counties' marriage books. They also have handy dandy links to maps of the counties. These maps are helpful in looking at where my family lived.

For example, in 1860 James T/F Eddings (son) and (Nancy) Ann Eddings (mother) lived in Tallapoosa County, Beat 6, Wynn Creek P.O. Assuming it's the same as "Wind Creek," we find it near Alexander City:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/tallapoosa.pdf

In 1870 Nancy and Z(iplha) E(leanor Eddins) Freeman are living on Beat 11, Oak Bowery near Chambers Court House in Chambers County. See here:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/chambers.pdf

In 1880 Z.A. Freeman and N. Edins are living in Opelika, Beat 2, Lee County. See here:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/lee.pdf

All of these places are close together, some 10 miles, some about an hour.

Really kewl.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The parents of Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins, Part 1

I posted this at Genform.com/Eddins in 2006:


Does anyone know the parents of Nancy Ann Hendricks/Hendrix/Hendrex who married James A. Eddins/Edins? I have a theory which follows the details below.


Details:


Nancy Ann Hendricks/Hendrix/Hendrex was born about 1796 in SC, probably Orangeburg, later Lexington County. In either November 1813 or 1817 she married James A. Eddins/Edins, son of John & Zilpha Eddins of Lexington County, SC. James and Nancy had at least nine children: Peter, Sarah, Hiram, Rebecca, Blakely, Ann Susannah, Zilpha, Elizabeth, and James. They moved from SC to AL around 1821 or 1822 and finally settled in Tallapoosa County by 1840. James died in 1858 and Nancy Ann died after 1860.


__________


Theory:


Nancy Ann is the daughter of Peter Hendricks, born about 1765, and Elizabeth Gibson, born about 1772. I have no direct proof of this, but lots of circumstantial evidence points this way. I would like to hear from others who can help prove or disprove this theory.


Evidence (assuming that Nancy was daughter of P & E):


1. Nancy named her first son Peter after after her father.


2. Nancy had two brothers, Simeon and Aaron. This is the first time I have seen these names in any generation of the Hendricks family. Nancy's son Blakely named his first son Simmin (Simeon) Aaron using uncles' names.


3. Nancy had a sister Susanna and named a daughter Ann Susannah.


4. The books and family trees I have seen name Peter & Elizabeth's children as:


a. Susanna, b. abt. 1798

b. Nathan, b. abt. 1800

c. Aaron, b. abt. 1805

d. Matilda, b. abt. 1808

e. Dolly, b. abt. 1810

f. Simeon, b. abt. 1813 S.C.

g. Joseph, b. abt. 1815

h. Eli Edmund, b. abt. 1818


According to this information, Peter would have been 33 and Elizabeth 24 at the time of Susanna's birth--quite old for a first child in those days. It is conceivable that they had Nancy Ann first in 1796.


5. In addition, two censuses argue that there was a female child prior to Susanna.


In the 1800 US Census for SC, Peter Hendrick is listed in Lexington (formerly Orangeburg) County, SC. There are two females under 10--these are Nancy and Susanna, I believe. The other people in the household conform to Peter, Elizabeth, and Nathan.


In the 1810 US census for SC, Peter Hendrex is living in Lexington County, SC. In the household are three males under 10 (Aaron, 5, and two UNK), one male 10 - 15 (Nathan, 10ish), one male 26 - 44 (Peter, 44 to 45). There are also two females under 10 (Matilda, 2, and Dolly, oneish), two females 10 - 15 (Susanna, 12, and Nancy Ann, 14), and one female 16 - 25 (Elizabeth, 28). I don't perceive the slight variation in Peter & Elizabeth's ages as a huge problem. Their birthdates are based on one entry in the 1850 Census, People often didn't know their exact birthdates, and census recorders made errors.


______________


There's my theory. I look forward to hearing from anyone who has information or ideas to prove or disprove this.


Now in 2011:


No one has ever replied to this, yay or nay.


I recently started to look at this theory again and have found nothing to disprove it. In fact, while I admit I have found no primary evidence to prove it, there are several pieces of circumstantial evidence that support the theory. I will continue in a following post to add facts that show who Nancy Ann's parents were not and who they likely were.

James A. Edins

This is a draft to be finished later:

We know that his name was "James A. Edins" from several sources:

He signed the marriage license of his daughter Ann Susannah Edins to Henry J. Rix as "James A. Edins." I have not seen this marriage license, but the source for this info comes from Lavina Nance, who posted it here:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/eddins/messages/323.html

If there's a marriage license, it's probably on file in Tallapoosa County.

Nancy Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex, wife of James A. Eddins/Edins

Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins was born in South Carolina between 1796 (1860 US Census for AL) and 1800 (1870 Census for AL). Her parents' identity is unproven,but she was definitely from one of the Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex families of Orangeburgh/Lexington, SC. More on that in a post to follow. She died after 1880, possibly in Lee County, AL.

For simplicity's sake, I will use "Hendrix" and "Edins" from here on.

Bob Eddings, who runs the Eddins forum on Genforum.com provides her date of marriage to James Edins as either November 1813 or November 1817, depending where you look. In my opinion the most likely date is November 1817, as their first known son, Peter, was born about 1817. The 1830 US Census for Wilcox County, AL, shows a male of Peter's age, and the rest of the census conforms to their known family pretty well.

Allowing for possible birth and marriage dates, Nancy Ann was between 13 (born 1800, married 1813) and 21 (born 1796, married 1817) when she married James A. I tend to think she was 21 because her ages in the censuses usually end in "4," and because the first son, Peter, was born about 1817.

The age of 21 conforms to the ages recorded in US Censuses from 1830 - 1880:

1830: 30 - 40 in Wilcox County, AL. Nancy would be 34.

1840: 40 - 50 in Tallapoosa County, AL. Nancy would be 44.

1850: 54 in Tallapoosa County.

1860: 64 in Tallapoosa County.

1870: 70 in Chambers County, AL

1880: 84 in Lee County, AL

She and James A. had at least eight children: Peter, Sarah, Hiram, Rebecca, Blakely, Ann Susannah, Zilpha, Elizabeth, and James T or F. She never appears as head of household; she is always living with a husband, son, or daughter.

1850: Living with James A. (husband) in Tallapoosa County

1860: Living with James T. or F. (son) in Tallapoosa County

1870: Living with Z(ilpha) E. Freeman in Chambers County

1880: Living with Z. A. Freeman in Lee County

Where is she buried? Hard to tell, but the most likely places are Lee, Chambers, or Tallapoosa County. Probably she died in the home of daughter Zilpha, who always lived in the vicinity of Tallapoosa County. As soon as I have any more information, I'll post it here.

More discussion about Nancy Ann's parents in a post to follow.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Introduction

The purpose of this blog is to share the information collected on my Alabama family over the last 11 years. There's a lot of it. Positive comments, suggestions, and corrections are always welcome. Here you'll find lots of information about the family of Rebecca Elizabeth Eddins Pinson. The primary line I'm following is the Eddins/Edins/Eddings/Edens line, but the blog will probably slop over into Helton, Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex, McGuire, and others.


These are my rules of thumb: Facts are stated with sources. Speculation is labeled as such. I try to give credit to those people who have helped me along the way, and would like credit if my work is used elsewhere. I try not to publish information about living people unless I get permission. I won't publish any information about the parents of living people and only occasionally will publish information about grandparents.

Uh-oh, here I go again.

Happy hunting to friends and soon-to-be-discovered kin!