Let's talk about Sarah & Sarah & S.A. and A.S...

AUUUUUGHGHGH! Too many Johns and Sarahs and S. A.'s and A.S.S.'s!


Our original Sarah A. (maybe A.L.) was the second daughter and third child of Blakely A. and Elizabeth Helton Eddins/Edins/Edens/Edings. She was born between 1851 and 1853, probably in either Tallapoosa or Bibb County, AL. In 1871 she married John L. Honeycutt/Hunnicutt in Shelby County.


At the same time there seems to have been ANOTHER Sarah A. who married a DIFFERENT John Honeycutt. Sarah A. Mitchell married John T. Honeycutt, as elucidated by their son George's death information here:


https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDB1-KRC


Gadzooks!


And another John L. Hunnicutt who married an A. S.  or S. A. A. Strong. 


Ack!!!!


To confuse the issue, there is at least one ADDITIONAL John Honeycutt who married Elizabeth and lived in Shelby County in 1850 and 1860 but died by 1873, leaving a will. His children were William, Louisa, Zachary Taylor, Mary, J.D., and George D. Honeycutt, according to the probate records in Shelby County.


ZWOUNDS!!!


Let's look at the best candidate for the John L. who married Sarah A. Eddins.


In the 1850 US Census for AL, Thomas Honeycut was living in Autauga County with first wife Elizabeth Moore and children. On November 6, 1851 he married Cynthia Lathem in Shelby County. In the 1860 US Census for AL,  T.R. Honeycutt is living in ES Cahaba River with Cynthia, his older children, and Jerry, aged 8, born about 1852. This last son is undoubtedly our John L., because:


In the 1870 US Census for AL, John L. Honeycutt, 19,  is living in Beat 6 with his parents Thos R. and Cintha Honeycutt. Thomas is a grocer, Cintha keeps house, John L. is a teamster. All born AL.




The Shelby County, AL, Genealogy website is littered with entries for Thomas R. and John L. Honeycutt. Mostly sketchy. For example,

• In 1866 John is cited for "affray."
• 
  
• In 1870 Thomas is cited for keeping "open house on Sunday"--presumably keeping the hotel bar open when it was supposed to be closed. Oops. 
• 
  
• In 1870 John L is cited for gaming; guarantee from T.R. and J. L. Honeycutt and J. M. Lathem (an uncle, cousin, or brother-in-law) that J.L. will show up.
• 
  
• In 1871 John L. is cited for assault and battery on Thomas Adams
• 
  
• In 1871 Thomas R. is cited for selling liquor on Sunday

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/61DrawerA.html


And that's just ONE page of ONE set of files.




Wotta family!


Continuing on with our most likely candidates:


In the 1880 US Census for AL, Cynthia Hunnicutt is a widowed hotel keeper in Randolph, Bibb County. Born AL, parents born AL. Also in the household are Johns, 27, Sallie, 26, Thomas, 7, Willie, 6, John, 4, and Hugh, 8 months. No girls. Neighbors: Doughty, Mahan, Smitherman, Sims, Latham, Garner.


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6742&iid=4239763-00043&fn=Cynthia&ln=Hunnicutt&st=d&ssrc=&pid=5708693


After that, the trail for this family goes cold. Despite considerable work, I've been unable to find any more trace of them. 


If I find anything more, I'll post it here. You can stop reading now.


#######


Or not. 


Just to differentiate the families, I am including my findings on the other J & S & A families we have noted. For example:


John and Sarah Honeycutt are in Jefferson County in 1880. John is 29, a farmer, born AL, parents born AL. Sarah is 29, housekeeping, born AL, parents born AL. Also in the household are James T, 10, John J., 7, George W., 6, Willie S., 4, E. Z., 2, and Emma E., 1. Marion Hutchinson, hired help, is also there.


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6742&iid=4239777-00711&fn=John+L.&ln=Honeycutt&st=d&ssrc=&pid=7526895


The two families are different and separate: two separate entries, two separate towns, different children, and "our" S & L have no girls. So the second J & S are John and Sarah Mitchell Honeycutt.


The 1900 US Census for AL shows John and Sarah Mitchell Honeycutt in Jefferson County. John L. is 49, born July 1850, farmer, born AL, parents born AL. Sarah A. is 50, born August 1849, married 30 years, 9 births, 7 still living, parents born AL. Also in the household: George M., 25, William, 24, Emma E., 20, and Ennus B., 19.


http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7602&path=Alabama.Jefferson.Precinct+40.109.9&sid=&gskw=Emma+E+Honeycutt


This is the OTHER John and Sarah Honeycutt. You can tell from the children's names.


In the 1910 US Census for AL, John Q. Hunnicutt is living in Jeffferson County. He is 59, married one time for 40 years, born AL, parents born AL. Also in the household are Sarah, 60, born AL, parents born AL, nine children, seven living; and son William, 33.

The 1920 US Census for AL shows Sarah A. Honeycutt in Jefferson County. She is 69, widowed, born AL, parents born AL. Also in the household are William Honeycutt, 45, born AL, both parents born AL.

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6061&iid=4294317-00558&fn=Sarah&ln=Honeycutt&st=r&ssrc=&pid=106036573

The Alabama Deaths Index at Ancestry.com lists her death date as February 1925 in Jefferson County.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=aldeath&h=413433&indiv=try&o_cvc=Image:OtherRecord

EGAD!


Here is a THIRD John Honeycutt/Hunnicutt with a wife names A. S. or S.A. 


In 1882 John L. Hunnicutt married Alice A. Strong in Tuscaloosa County. Marriage record here:


https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ91-QZS


In the 1900 US Census for TX, J. L. Hunnicutt is living in Belton, TX. He is 49, born Sept. 1850, a bookkeeper, parents born GA and AL. Also in the household are S. A. A, his wife, 41, born 1858 in AL, parents born AL, married 18 years, 5 children and 5 living: son R.T., daughter G. J., son J. L., Jr., all born AL; and daughters Lizzie and Emily, born TX.


They show up again in 1910, this time in AL:


In the 1910 US Census for AL, John Hunnicutt is living in Tuscaloosa County. He is 59, born AL, parents born AL, a bookkeeper, married once for 28 years. Also in the household is Alice S, 52, born AL, parents born AL, Lizzie, 22, born TX, and Emily, 14, born TX. 


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7884&iid=31111_4327217-00225&fn=John+L&ln=Honeyicutt&st=d&ssrc=&pid=246508 


They're here Tuscaloosa in 1920:


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6061&iid=4294341-00756&fn=John+L&ln=Hunnicut&st=d&ssrc=&pid=1681622


And here in 1930:


http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6224&iid=4532033_00783&fn=J+L&ln=Hunnicutt&st=d&ssrc=&pid=118253525


This is the guy who died in1932.


This material is important only in eliminating people who are not the John & Sarah we want. Hence the small type. Now you can REALLY stop reading! 

Let's talk about Sarah, Part One

It seems to me that genealogical information is revealed in a purposeful order. Can't say as I know what that order is. But I'm grateful that more and more info is available on line, since I can't always travel.  


Thanks to my fragrant cousin who makes such wonderful handmade soap, we can add more information about another daughter of Elizabeth Helton and Blakely A. Edins/Eddins. So let's talk about Sarah. 




She's Sarah A./L. Eddins/Edins. Maybe Sarah A. L Edins, after her aunt, Sarah Ann L. Chatwood, who married Hiram E. Eddins, brother of Blakley.   




Let's start with what we can prove from the AL Federal censuses.


In the 1860 US Census for AL, Sarah L. Eddins is living with her parents Blakely and Elizabeth Helton Eddins in East Side Cahaba River, Bibb County. She is 7, born AL; thus born about 1853. The Edins family is living near many people who are a part of their extended family or who will influence their lives: the Barnetts, the Heltons, the Fanchers, the Hardys, etc. 

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7667&iid=4211175_00092&fn=B&ln=Edins&st=d&ssrc=&pid=17622245

In the 1870 US Census for AL, Sarah A.  Eddins is living with her parents in Shelby County, Beat 6. She is 17, born AL. 

http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7163&iid=4257737_00356&fn=Blakely&ln=Eddins&st=d&ssrc=&pid=12418665

The very next year she gets married. 

Sarah Edings married John Honeycutt on Sunday, October 22, 1871, in Shelby County, AL. You can find one listing here:


http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/MarriageIndex5.html


As my cousin says, this site is maintained by Bobby Seales, and the info is 99.44% guaranteed to be correct. I've never had bad info from this site. 


The second source is FamilySearch.org, which lists John as "Honeycult":


https://www.familysearch.org/search/records/index#count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Ahoneycult~&collection_id=1674672




(BTW, a nifty way to find out the day of the week of any date is:


http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/dayofweek.html)




Can we learn any more about Sarah A./L Eddins Honeycutt/Hunnicutt?


Maybe. But as there are several John Honeycutts/Hunnicuts, we shall have to look and see.

Digressions and connections

I love finding out new information that ties together multiple strands of the family web.

Several years ago, thanks to Kelly Robbin's kind post at Genforum.com/helton, I was able to gather tons of information about Mattie Helton, Elizabeth Helton Eddins's mother, Blakely's mother-in-law, and Simmin's grandmother. You can find that post here:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?colvin::helton::2772.html

One digression always puzzled me: 

On January 30, 1877, Eliza's grandmother Mattie Colvin Helton applied for a War of 1812 pension. Blake Edins, aged 54, and J. B. Barnet, aged 34, attested to her identity. According to that application, Barnet was born about 1843. 

I always wondered: who was J. B. Barnet? A friend? A relative?


Two months ago I checked FamilySearch.org's Historical Records Collection, which has a wealth of information on Alabama. Stuff that no one else has.  For example, when you search for Eddins/Edins marriages in Bibb County 1864 - 1884 on the Ancestry.com Alabama Marriage Index, you get nada. When you do the same search at FamilySearch.org, you get three:

• Simon A. Edins and Lou Barrett in 1868 (Simmin's first wife Lou Barrett died between 1870 and 1874)
• 
  
• Elizer E. Edins and J. R. Barnett in 1874
• 
  
• S. A. Edins and J. C. Honeycutt in 1874. (This is actually the marriage of Simmin and Mary Drucilla Edins as explained in a previous post.)

Whoopie-doo!


Blakely A. and Elizabeth Helton Edins/Eddins had a daughter named Eliza E. She was undoubtedly named after her mother's sister Eliza Helton Hardy. In the 1860 US Census for AL Eliza E. lives with her parents on the East Side Cahaba River. In the 1870 US Census for AL, Eliza E. is 13 and living with her parents in Beat 6, Shelby Springs, Shelby County.


On March 28th, 1874, Elizer E. Edins married J. R. Barnett in Bibb County. She was 16 or 17. The bondsman was Charles Fulton, and Jackson Gardner was the Judge of Probate. J. B. Barnett was likely 31.


So that answers one question. J. B./R. Barnett was Eliza Edins's 14-years-older husband and Blakely's son-in-law.


Can we find out anything else about him?


One thing we can prove is that he is not the Jackson T. Barnett who married Martha Elizabeth Smith in 1876 in Bibb County. JTB and MES are living together in several later censuses (Unless J. B./R. Barnett was a bigamist. But I digress).


https://www.familysearch.org/search/records/index#count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3Ajackson~%20%2Bsurname%3Abarnett~&collection_id=1674672


I suspected that J. B./R. had served with either Blakely or Simmin in the Civil War. So I checked the Civil War Soldier Database at the Alabama Department of Archives. (http://www.archives.state.al.us) Bingo! Blakley served in the 20th Alabama Infantry in Pratt's Unit. J. B. Barnett served in the 20th Alabama Infantry, Company B. (Maybe he had a boogie sound that no one else could play?? More digression) He enlisted as a private on September 9, 1861.


There's also a James Barnett aged 27 who mustered into Company H on the same date in Montgomery. He would have been born  in 1834. Probably not the same, as the birth dates are so different. It bears more research. But I digress....


A check at the Civil War Soldiers database at Ancestry.com shows that J. B. Barnett mustered into the 20th Alabama, Company C (not B), and that his rank upon release was still private.


http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&MS_AdvCB=1&db=NPS_civilwarsoldiers&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=j.+b.+&gsfn_x=1&gsln=barnett&gsln_x=1&msipn__ftp=Alabama%2c+USA&msipn=3&msipn_PInfo=5-%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c3246%7c3%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c&msipn_x=XO&msipn__ftp_x=1&dbOnly=_F0003CA3%7c_F0003CA3_x%2c_F0003CA4%7c_F0003CA4_x%2c_F000278D%7c_F000278D_x%2c_F0003CA7%7c_F0003CA7_x%2c_F0003400%7c_F0003400_x%2c_F0003CA8%7c_F0003CA8_x%2c_F0003CAB%7c_F0003CAB_x%2c_F0003CAC%7c_F0003CAC_x&uidh=wy5&pcat=39&fh=0&h=2674261&recoff=5+6+7


Can we learn anything else?


Noticing the similarity between the names of Simmin's first wife Louquincy Barrett and J. B. Barnett, I looked in the 1860 US Census for AL for Bibb County. Sure enough, Louquincy is listed in the household of Daniel BarNett on the East Side Cahaba River area, Six Mile Post office. More importantly, there's a Jackson Barnett, 17,  born 1843.


In addition, the AL Death and Burial Index at Ancestry.com lists Nannie Elizabeth (Barnett) Walsh, died 1931, as the daughter of J. B. Barnett and Elizabeth Eddins.


http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&MS_AdvCB=1&db=FSAlabamaDeath&rank=1&new=1&MSAV=2&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=j.+b.+&gsfn_x=1&gsln=barnett&gsln_x=1&dbOnly=_83004005%7c_83004005_x&uidh=wy5&pcat=34&fh=9&h=655887&recoff=23+67+68+69


While there's no smoking gun, the preponderance of evidence suggests that J. B./R. Barnett was Jackson Barnett, born 1843, the son of Daniel Barnett and Harriet Frazier (m. 1826 in Bibb County), brother of Louquincy Barnett,  husband of Eliza E. Eddins, and father of Nannie Elizabeth Barnett Walsh.


Digressions and connections. Gotta love 'em. 

FOUND! Marriage license for Simmin & Mary Drucilla

Actually, it was never lost. Just mislabeled. Mistakes do happen.


There's a wonderful resource at FamilySearch.org called the Historical Record Collection. Here's the URL:


https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list


If you look under Alabama Marriages, 1816 - 1957, you'll find two marriages in Bibb County listed for our Mister Edins. 


The first marriage for Simon A. Edins was on December 31, 1868, to Lou Barrett. Her full name was Louquincy Barrett, called Lou or Lucy. She was born about 1846 in AL and died between 1870 and 1875. She and Sim had one son, James Blakely, born August 1870 and died March 15, 1888. 


The second marriage for S. A. Edins was on January 29, 1874, and the bride was J. C. Honeycutt. 


HUH???


At first I thought, "Was Simmin married three times, a time I didn't know about???"


My fragrant cousin said, "Nah, it's probably the marriage to Mary Drucilla, but the transcriber made an error. We'll find out when we get to the Bibb County Courthouse."


When we got to the Judge of Probate's office, we made a beeline for the marriage records. Sure enough, she was right—kinda. The CLERK had made an error. The license with its original capitalization reads:


"You are hereby Authorized To celebrate the Rites of Matrimony between S. A. Edins and J. C. Honeycutt..." up top. 


Down below it says:


"Know all Men by these Presents That We, S. A. Edins and J. C. Honeycutt are held and firmly bound {as bondsmen}....to...the Marriage of S. A. Edins and Miss Sillia McGuire..." The date was 26th of "Jany", 1874. 


So not transcriber error, but clerk error. They do happen. Which makes me think that there's an error on Mary Drucilla's death certificate where it says "Georgia Smith" for "Mother" instead of "Britta Ann Green." I hope so. But that's another blog entry entirely!

James A. Edins helps Mathias Walker and me

Mathias Walker applied for a pension from the War of 1812 in Wilcox County, AL, on May 17, 1834. The file is here at Fold3.com, but you have to have a membership to see it:


http://www.fold3.com/image/#19759561


In the application Mathias mentions three people who live in his "immediate neighborhood in this county": James A. Edins/Edens, Martin Pruitt, and Robert C. Dunnam, a minister of the gospel. 

A little more identification:

• James A. Eddins, son of Zilpha and John Eddins of Lexington, SC

• Martin Pruitt, probably the father of Josiah M. Pruitt, who married Rebecca Eddins

• Robert C. Dunnam, probably related to--brother of??--Harriet Dunnam, who married Simeon Hendrix.

This document places James A. Edins, Martin Pruitt, and Robert Dunnam in Wilcox County in 1834. Their names are important because they provide evidence for several other revelations from my recent trip to AL. More to follow on those. 


Are you sitting on the edge of your proverbial seat with bated breath, waiting for the new revelations??? Good!! Keep reading!!!!

The parents of Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins, Part 2

A few years ago I posted a theory on the Eddins forums at Ancestry.com and Genforum.com. I postulated that Peter Hendricks and Elizabeth Gibson were the parents of the Nancy Ann Hendricks who married James A. Edins. The purpose of THIS post is to discuss the Hendrickses/Hendrixes who probably AREN'T the parents of Nancy Ann—in order to establish who her parents might be.


Here are the "givens":

It's clear that Nancy Ann comes from one of the Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex families in Orangburgh, later Lexington County, SC. There are gazillions of Hendrixes in Orangeburg/Lexington, and she was married in Lexington County.


Most US Censuses state that she was born in SC between 1796 and 1800. She married James A. Edins/Eddins in 1813 (from his War of 1812 pension application). Assuming she married later than her 13th year, her birthdate is probably closer to 1796.  

Since the Edins family lived near several Hendrix families from 1790 to 1820, let's look at what the censuses can tell  us. 


First, the 1790 Census.

In the 1790 US Census for SC, John Edings (James's father) is in Orangeburgh District, as are Henry, Amos, John, Tobias (Peter and Henry, Jr.'s father), and William Hendricks.


Exit Tobias, as he is definitely the grandfather. 

Let's look at 1800.

In the 1800 US Census for SC, Selvia Edins is in the area "Lexington north of Saluda." For Hendrick we find Abraham, Amos, Henry, Jr., Mary, Peter, Tobias (grandfather), and William. Both Henry and Peter Hendrick are living in Orangeburgh near the Saluda River and the Edinses. Nancy Ann would be between four and six. Only Henry and Peter have females of the right age in their households. Henry has four females under 10, and Peter has two. So they're still in the running. 


Exit Tobias, Abraham, Amos, Mary, and William. 


1810:

In the 1810 US Census for SC, the Widow Edins is in Lexington County. Also Absolom Hendrix and Eliga, Elizabeth, Henry, Peter, Samuel, William Hendrex. Sarah Hendrick is in Richland County, which borders Lexington. As James A. lived in Richland in 1820, Sarah is still in the running. 

In the 1810 US Census for SC, Nancy Ann Hendrix would be about 10 - 14 if she were born in 1796 to 1800. Since most of the censuses list her age as ending in a “4,” let’s say she’s 14. In the 1810 Census for Lexington County, there are several Hendrix/Hendricks near the Widow Edins, which is where James A. is. 


In 1810 only three households have females of the correct age.


Peter Hendrix has two females 10 - 16. One is probably Nancy Ann, who would be 14. The other one could be Susanna, born 1798, and thus 12 in 1810. 

Henry Hendrix has one female 10 - 16 and two females 16 - 26.

Elizabeth Hendrix has one female 10 - 16, whom I have not yet identified.

In 1810 Absolom, Eliga, Samuel and David Hendrix do not have females 10 - 16 in their households, which would probably eliminate them as Nancy Ann's father. Sarah Hendrick has no females 10 - 16 in her household, either, which would probably eliminate her as Nancy Ann's mother. 

William Hendrix has two females 10 - 16, but they have been identified as  Elizabeth and Catherine; see http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3202133&id=I6569). Therefore:

Exit Tobias, Abraham, Amos, Mary, and William. Most likely, exit William, David, Samuel, Absolom, Eliga, William, and Sarah. 

1820:


By 1820 our Nancy Ann is already out of the household, having married James A. in 1813. She's probably with James Eddings in Richland County, SC. Richland County neighbors Lexington County and actually extends into it. 


Further, in the 1820 US Census for SC, David, Dod (clearly "Dvd'", or David) Jr, and John Hendrick are in Lexington County, as are Absalom, Elias, Isaac, James, John, William, and Henry Hendricks.


Most significantly, Andrew Fay (Frye) is in Lexington County right next door to Henry Hendricks. Since Henry's daughter Nancy (see the last blog entry) was married to Andrew Frye around 1820, this juxtaposition strongly suggests that Andrew's wife Nancy was Henry's daughter. Nancy Hendricks Frye and Nancy Ann Hendricks Eddins are definitely two different people. So we can probably eliminate Henry Hendricks as the father of Nancy Ann Hendricks Eddins. Therefore:


Exit Tobias, Abraham, Amos, Mary, and William. Most likely, exit William, David, Samuel, Absolom, Eliga, William, and Sarah. Exit Henry, Jr., too. 


Which leaves Peter Hendricks as the most likely father of Nancy Ann Hendricks. If Peter is the father, then Elizabeth Gibson is her mother. And there you have it. 

The children of John & Zilpha Eddins/Edins (Updated for the 3rd time)

Using both the 1790 US Census for SC and the ad that Zilpha placed in the South Carolina State Gazette, one can work out a fairly logical order of John & Zilpha's children. 


The 1790 Census lists one male 16+ (John) and three males under 16 (Blakely, John S., and Ephraim), and six free white females (Zilpha and five girls: Fereby, Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, and Obedience). 


Some birth dates are known for these people because of cemetery inscriptions. Other dates are implied from census records. Even others are listed because good researchers (for example, Bob Eddings) have listed them this way. 


So here's the list:

• Fereby, who married Samuel Hendrix, b. 1770 - 1780?, died after 1840 in Tuscaloosa County, AL? 
• Martha, born before 1790, died ?
• Elizabeth, who married a Brown, born before 1790, died ?
• Mary, who married George Turner, born before 1790, died ?
• Blakely, born about 1780, died about 1838 in Pulaski County, GA
• John S., born 1 August 1782, died 1831 or 1839 in Orangeburg/Lexington County, GA
• Ephraim, born about 1786, died by 1826 in Richland County, SC ?
• Obedience, born October 13, 1789, died May 14, 1863 in Walker County, GA
• William D., born about 1791, died after 1840 in Pulaski County, GA
• James A. (likely "Albert"), born 1792-3, died January 27, 1858 in Tallapoosa County, AL

Bob Eddings says there are 11 children, and there may be, but I can only find these 10. 


I'm going to update this list whenever I find compelling new information. So  there.