Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Joseph Helton's folks, Part 1

You need to know up front that there is no "smoking gun." I have no documents that say "So-and-so is definitely the parent of Joseph Helton." No one document that proves this theory. Having said all this, I believe that the preponderance of evidence points to one woman and her first husband as the parents of Joseph Helton. There are simply too many connections to disregard. 

To begin with, Martha (Mattie) Helton's War of 1812 pension application refers to names associated with Joseph. In it you'll read (italics mine):

"...Widow's pension declaration form: Dated January 30, 1877. Martha Helton is age 90 and living in Bibb County (P.O. Randolph), AL, and is the widow of Joseph Helton, who was drafted into Capt. Hicklom or Hicklin's company, Georgia Volunteers, at Washington County, GA in 1812 and was discharged at Milledgeville, GA in 1812. States she has received a bounty land warrant but does not recollect the number. She was married as Martha Colvin on March 19, 1811, by William Buck [Brick?] at Washington County, GA, and her husband died at Tallapoosa County, AL, on May 10, 1854, and she has not remarried."


and 

"....Letter from Thomas C. Fullerton, Martha's DC attorney, dated June 25, 1878, stating that 'Mrs. Martha Helton--who is very old and illiterate--is still living and after reflecting over her case for a year or more has recalled to mind the fact that her husband had a step-father named McDaniel and two half brothers named McDaniel and that her husband was called McDaniel for a long time although his correct name was Helton. He and the two brothers McDaniel served together and the old lady thinks that her husband might have served under the name of McDaniel.'"

So—names associated with Joseph Helton:

Hicklom/Hicklin

Colvin

McDaniel

We also know that Joseph Helton was in the Washington County, GA, area in 1811 and 1812. 

Unfortunately the U.S. Census records for GA don't exist before 1820. Luckily, though, the 1820 U.S. Census for Washington County, GA, has survived. In it there are two female Mc Daniels in Washington County, but there is only one woman named McDaniel who may be old enough to be Joseph's mother. That's 

• Mary McDaniel. 

See here:

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=0&dbid=7734&iid=4433224_00250&fn=Mary&ln=Mc+Daniel&st=r&ssrc=&pid=1484747

In the 1820 U.S. Census for GA, Mary Mc Daniel is living in Washington County, GA.  In the household are one male 10 - 16, four males 16  - 26, one male 26 - 45. There are also one female 10 - 16, one female 16 - 26, and one female 45 & up (Mary), and one person engaged in agriculture. Neighbors include Nathan Vicen (Vinson), Collins Hardy, John Colvin, Olly Prosser, Joel Davis.

Mary McDaniel is obviously the female over 45; she could be any age between 45 and death. Other family members are unidentified, but it can't be Joseph and Mattie, who would have had several children under 5. 

Notes about neighbors who are peripherally connected include:

• Nathan Vicen (Vinson) witnessed a deed/sale for Mary in 1822 and bought land from Allen McDaniel, Mary's son, in 1835. 

• Nathan Vinson's daughter Arimina (or Sylvenia?) married Daniel Colvin. (from Vinson's will at http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike/wills/vinson.txt)

• Olly Prosser/Prawser's daughter married Reuben Hicklin. 

• John Colvin, who may be related to Mattie.

So to the list of names connected with Joseph, let's add:

Vinson

Prosser/Prawser

In the 1830 US Census for GA, Mary McDaniel is in Pike County, AL. In the household are three males 20 - 30, one female 15 - 20, one female 20 - 30, and one female 60 - 70 (born 1760 - 1770). Neighbors include William Hardy, Alvas Jordan, Phineas, Stokes, Finney, John Brown, Jenkins, Willis, Foster, Farmer, Jones, Sugg, Millican, Butler, Williams, Elizabeth Bullen. Mary's son John McDaniel, John Wadsworth, James Whatley are one page over. Willis Millener, Elijah Twilley, Nathan Vinson, John McGlawn, and Joseph Helton are two pages over. :)))

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8058&iid=4409442_00252&fn=Mary&ln=McDaniel&st=d&ssrc=&pid=932368

In 1830 Joseph would have been about 50 or 51. Mary would have been 60 - 70. At age 70 she is old enough to have had Joseph from a first marriage. 

But there's way more evidence of connections between Joseph Helton and the McDaniels. To prove them, we need to go to another website:

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/c/d/Phyllis-C-Mcdaniel/GENE1-0007.html

This website seems to be the earliest one with most of the correct information. It's often quoted verbatim on other websites (without proper attribution. Bad genealogist! Bad!) While I haven't proved all of these facts yet, enough have checked out for it to seem trustworthy. Plus it has lots of notes and sources. From this website we learn that John and Mary's children were:


• Eliza, born about 1795, married Duncan McEachern


• Allen, born about 1798, married Sophia Williams

• Samuel, born about 1800, married Elizabeth Matthews

• Matthew, born about 1803, married Catherine Daniel

• Charles, born about 1805, married Sarah Elliot

• John, born about 1806, married Sarah Ann Hollingsworth

• Sarah, born about 1808, Joshua Cherry


Name connections with the McDaniels:

• Mary,  Joseph and Martha's first daughter 

Allen,  their first son, and an unusual name at the time 

John, their second son

Eliza, their fourth daughter 


Whew! There are so many connections between Joseph and Mattie and people in Pike and Washington Counties in GA. I'm getting too tired to write them all. So in Part 2, I'll reveal even more. Stay tuned!

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