Week 31 (July 30-Aug. 5): Flew the Coop

Who flew the coop? Well apparently 2 men did, around the same time. A great great uncle George W. Granger, who turned up later and married in Galveston. And my Great great grandfather...

William Phillips, born in 1832 in Georgia. 

Moved to Texas with his mother, brother and step-father, to Galveston first, then settled in Tyler County.

What is important to know about William Phillips, is that he grew up with plenty, in a Georgia town called Fort Gaines, but they probably also had a plantation somewhere. His father died when he was about 5, and his mother remarried to a Judge Samuel Gainer. William had an older brother, Marion, who never married, and is the source of some correspondence within the family before and after the Civil War.

William's family had been on the 1850 census in Fort Gaines GA,, on the banks of the Chatahoochee River  but moved through Galveston by 1855.  Galveston was the shipping port of trade in Texas at that time. Houston hadn't begun it's channel which made it become a port later on. But the Gainer/Phillips didn't stay in Galveston. They were to move a north-east in the Tyler County area, in a town called Spurgess. 

But William had married in Nov. 1855 a woman from Massachusetts whom he met in Galveston. Her name was Mary Hull Granger. So similar to his stepfather's name Gainer. It definitely meant descendents had to be careful which family was being considered. We have no idea how long their engagement might have been.

William and Mary Phillips moved up the Sabine River, near Sabine Pass (another port town) and Beaumont to an area they called Griggsby's Bluff. There they started a plantation (there were slaves, as attested to the letter Mary wrote about the drought with 26 blacks and 6 whites to feed.)

Interestingly enough in 1858 when Mary was about to give birth to her first daughter, she traveled (by sea I imagine) back to Fort Gaines, GA to give birth, supposedly with her mother-in-law. So the property in GA must still have been active. Mother of William, Mary Phillips Gainer, had learned a lot about the law from her 2 husbands in the duties for executor for her first husband, and how to write a bill of sale for a slave. She gave a slave girl to the newborn baby, complete with the documentation written in her hand. (I have a copy, sadly enough.)

Mary's second child wasn't born till the 10th month, (15 Sept. 1861) and she was as surprised as everyone that the baby wasn't born when expected. I have a letter written by Mary Sept 28 1861, after the 2nd baby. She doesn't indicate any problems with her health in that letter. But by Nov. apparently she had died. The 2 daughters were taken to Galveston to be in the care of one of Mary's sisters. William's letter (below) indicates he had met with the sister of  his deceased wife when engaging her to care for them, and she wished him well in the fighting.

 

Here's the original letter written by her father, George T. Granger, about Mary Granger and her husband William, addressed to his other daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Granger. I've transcribed it below, so don't go blind trying to figure it out.

Even my grandmother, Ada S. Rogers asked if this photo was George W. Granger's father (who was George Tyler Granger.  The answer was that this picture was "his great Uncle"...but I'm letting all the Grangers share it until I have confirmation as to which one it is.)

George Tyler Granger was father to Mary Hull Granger Phillips (1829-1861) my grandmother's grandmother.  His other children (according to Ancestry.com) were: George W. Granger (1830 – ?)  Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pulsifer Granger Sweet (1833 – 1911) Joseph Granger (1835 – 1850) and Lucy Ellen Granger Wakelee (1837 – 1876.) The Grangers of Newburyport, Massachusetts were Yankees who moved to Galveston TX just before the Civil War.

I remember a line from Mary Phillips concerning someone named Joseph, and that was all. Her sister Elizabeth (Lizzie) was the recipient of the sad letter from her father transcribed below.

Mary Granger Phillips' mother, Lucy Pulsifer Granger, also had family with interests in Beaumont TX...as her brothers were the surveyors for that town.

This letter gives me great substantiating information about George W. Granger, George Tyler Granger's son who apparently has just left the area where his (GTG's) daughter, Mary had recently died. Grigsby's Bluff is not yet identified to my satisfaction.  It could have been in Tyler County, Texas or maybe another area overlooking a river, which has since become oil fields or flooded for a reservoir. It's not in Sabine Pass nor Beaumont, which are mentioned in the letter. It did have steam ship access to Sabine Pass and then to Galveston. 

(Notes throughout the letter in italics and parentheses are by the author. This letter is on 3 pages, as photographed above.

***************************************************************

                                        Grigsby’s Bluff             Dec. 9, 1861

Dear Elizabeth

        A few days after George left here for Galveston, (NOTE: George is assumed to be his son) I was shocked with a report of Mary’s (his daughter) being dead.  I could not believe it, until I was inform (sic) by Abel Coffin who obtain his information from Mr. (Ward?) who saw Mr. Phillips in Houston. (This was Mary's husband, William Phillips.)  I was then obliged to believe it.  I then afterwards saw Mr. Ward (?) Capt. Clements Clerk who saw Mr. Phillips, but could give me no particulars – The ways of God are always right, yet it is hard to us to think and feel so.  When the most useful are taken from us and those spared or permitted to live until they are useless and a burden to themselves and others.  We must however submit to the desires of Him “who doeth all things well” without a murmur only we can mourn.  He has given us that privilege with a blessing attended to it –

        I have been very well since George left.  I went down to the House and stayed there a week (this is probably the one room house where William and Mary Granger Phillips had lived) and found some one had broke in and broke open the Desk and Chest.  Yet I did not miss anything from them.  The rats have made more damage than the Burglars.  I stopped up their holes and put things to rights and left for this place on the 8^th and I got George’s letter of the 17^th on the 5^th from Beaumont.

        I was about writing George when Capt. Clements came up from the Pass (Sabine Pass, Texas was a major port at that time) with another story of an addition to 
(end page one)

(Page 2 letter from Grigsby Bluff, Dec. 9, 1861)

the Blockade and everybody was moving from the City (not sure if he means Sabine Pass or Galveston) and Gen. Hebert had removed the cannon to Virginia Point saying the city was untenable.  I told Capt. C. I did not believe any story (Sabine) Pass (?) could get up  they were all the time getting something to frighten the Citizens.

        If George is still with you tell him Mr. Mosley will move out of his house this week & move to Beaumont. (Note: George W. married a woman named Elizabeth Mosley in 1864)  And says you can on the can (?) have his house which belongs to Parvell (?) who ask $12 per month  Mr. Pemley and Mr. Mosley both say it is not worth much more than half that sum 5$ or 6$ is all its worth unless considerable is done to it.  It’s terribly infested with rats and leeks (sic) a good deal and is not so good as it looks but still with some small repairs it will do for us very well.  George knows the place well it is almost a new House, Painted outside but inside only half finished.

        My love to all.    I have not time to write more in (sic) I shall lose my chance to send the letter to Beaumont

                                        `      Your affectionate Father,

                                                        Geo T. Granger

(end of page 2)

(Page 3 letter from Grigsby Bluff, Dec. 9, 1861)

A. B.  Tell George Mr. Hughes has answered his letter & says he will pay the balance due on the $808 Debt deducting the amt paid by sale of Beaumont lots.   Allowing interest from Dec. 14, 1854 on the amount, i.e. provided the Boys wont (sic) pay it.  He will pay it himself.  This will give us something more perhaps $250 instead of $704               G.T.G

(end of page 3) (I haven't figured out who A.B might be in Elizabeth Granger's household.

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I think the patience of George T. Granger was being tried when considering his son, George W. Granger, who apparently disappeared. There's one man who apparently flew the coop.

The other man who "flew the coop" seems to be William Phillips. No one knows why William took off for Houston when his wife died, but GTG saw it as pretty irresponsible.  

We also don't know how the two young daughters (about 2-/12 years and 4 months old) got to Galveston, but other letters do refer to them later.  Their father, William Phillips soon joined in early spring of 1862 to the Texas regiment called Alabama or Burnetts Cavalry and went off to die for the South. I have transcribed the one letter from him HERE. Actually he probably died the next winter from disease, either in Arkansas or Missouri.

Elizabeth Granger, to whom the letter is addressed, was 26 years old, and her brother George W. was 31 at the time of this letter.  It sounds a lot as if George is working for his father's interests, who was a timber dealer at times.  As the war swung into action, many more children would be cared for by relatives.

Of interest to historians is the reaction by Confederate General Hebert to Galveston and Sabine Pass to soon be blockaded by the Union. Galveston was even seized by Union troops who occupied it for quite some time.

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There's another letter, from Mary Phillips to her mother Lucy Pulsifer Granger... July 30, 1861

Town Bluff, July 30^th/61

My Dearest Mother

        Your dated July 12^th I received this morning & most thankfully you may be sure for it is a long time since I heard from any of you.  I had begun to be considerable anxious for fear some member of the family were sick.  Now did you ever hear of anyone making such a mistake on their scheming as I have and still what else or how else would I judge the time for me to look for my confinement than when I last was sick and most surely it was the third week in September but I am now completely lost cannot tell only I am constantly expecting I suffer extremely from the heat.

(next page)

I have most wretchedly restless nights no little sea breeze but so oppressive it seems to take all my strength  the perspiration seems to pour from every pore.  I am in very good health otherwise.  William will write you as soon as I am through.  It is Zulie’s birthday and we had an extra dinner for her and sat the Lady up to the table for the first time.  She behaved very well.  I know you would be much amused could you see her ways and her back and forward!  She wiggles and swings like a girl sixteen.  Mother gave her a very pretty pink chamber tucked the shirt and she strutts (sic) well in it.  If a stranger comes in she directly comes to me and says Mama play she is never quiet but busy all the time scouring the house or sweeping, has a rag baby I made

(next page)

her which she named herself, Lula and she shows up bread and feeds her with a perfect slight of hand and then gives her most awful whipping and gets her to sleep.  I think she is going to love a book for she will stand and listen just as long as you describe a picture and express her anger and sympathy on each subject.  Lucy would be in shakes of laughter all the time were she here  she is a perfect mimic must try to do all I do even in the sewing line  Mama I want to too, me, Mama and no peace till she has it.

        I have written this letter by spells you may find trouble to read it.  I have done my best, it tires me very much to write  I am much more clumsey than I was with Zulie.  Mother says I will go she is positive until the first week in September.

(next page)

        The weather is very dry and extremely hot.  The crops are all burnt up and if we make our bread it is all we expect now such a disappointment to Mother & myself as it will prevent our coming to see you.  I fear for there are so many to provide for and it will take ready cash to do it another year.  There are twenty six blacks and six whites still if we could get rain even now we should make enough as we planted late.  There is above us in other countys much poverty familieis soley dependent on their crops and cannot get anything to eat but milk.  I believe they are going to make some provision for such from. (sic) I see I must close write me soon again.  I am anxiously looking for Lizzies’ letter love to all,

                Yours affectionately,

                        Mary

(more written in margin of this last page)

Mother – William desires much Love to you all  I still find my piano good as ever  it __(?) so well.  Mother do not over exert yourself because you are in better health  try to get strong  I wish I could see you  I should be so glad quite old times

---------------------------------

Her baby was born Sept. 15, 1861.

____________________________

And more about George W. Granger: Let's put that into another blog post. It will be available soon, and I'll link back to it here.

Sharing with 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks, and Sepia Saturday, where I don't exactly meet the meme about old cars.

Week 30 (July 23-29): In the News - murdered great great grandfather!

Who was in the news?

There was my murdered second great grandfather on my mother's tree...Richard R. Booth (1846-1879).

His murderer was part of the Reconstruction Texas forces that weren't entirely sure the Civil War was over, let alone lost to the north. That happened a lot, and there were some really unruly characters.

My grandfather Richard was shot during an argument with a Deputy Sheriff, just outside a salloon. Richard was an attorney, who had been defending some outlaw probably. It was written up in the local news in such a way that Richard and the Deputy Sheriff had been drinking and had an arugument.

Two items to note. Richard was the ex-county attorney, which meant he wasn't representing anyone in court at that time. We are to assume it was Waller County, where he currently was practicing, Hempstead being the County Seat of that county.

Where is it you ask? I'm glad to find a bit of map for you...since Texas is so big.

Hempstead is in upper left quadrant, with Houston of today. At that time Galveston was losing some of it's status as the biggest shipping port in Texas, as Houston began to build a canal for it to become a port also. Anyway, Hempstead was the seat where a lot of cases were being tried. 

But Richard's father, William L. Booth, also an attorney, had moved with his family to Hempstead from their home in Hillsboro TX...which was much closer to Dallas. His Hillsboro home was kept active for that's where the children of Richard lived ,and where William retired after the death of his son.

The yellow flag in the upper left is now Hillsboro Texas, the home of the Booths.

Back to the gunfight resulting in the death of Richard R. Booth on July 30, 1879.

Other reports say he was shot by the man he was defending, on the steps of the Court House. I haven't seen that clipping in quite a while, however. My great aunt did show it to me, (over 50 years ago) and I think a copy was in my sister's possession at one time...but she didn't send it with the other information she copied for me.

I've shared before how difficult it was for the law to arrest it's own. When Deputy Sheriff  R. Springfield was jailed, his friends got him out easily enough.... 

Deputy Sheriff Springfield was one of the prisoners taken to Austin, Travis County for safe keeping in their jail.

It wasn't until he another member of his "gang" were tried for another murder, that R. Springfield finally met justice. And the trial had to be shifted several times, perhaps because of the influences that were brought to bear on the legal system, but the excuses seem valid enough in black and white.

The trial was first scheduled for Houston TX. But something happened either with the judge retiring, or there were 2 key witnesses missing, so it was carried over to Galveston in Dec. 1888. And finally Springfield was sentenced to 25 years in the pennitentiary, on 20 Dec 1889. Then the appeal in March of 1890 resulted in affirmation of the sentence.

Fort Worth Gazette, Mar 6, 1890...clipping shows the sentence for R. Springfield.

By 1890 my great grandmother, Eugenia Almeda Booth, was 17, and probably living with her grandfather (her mother had died when she was 2, her father when she was 7) in Hillsboro TX.  Her grandmother had died in 1885, but William T. Booth lived until 1894.

Sharing with Sepia Saturday, where my friends are patient enough with my long winded stories about my ancestry. I'm sure they've got interesting posts about old cars.

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks An interesting name

 I just found a new ancestor with a rather interesting name. Buller. Do you say Bueller? I think so, not Bull-er

Buller Herbert was born sometime in 1695, at Puddledock Plantation, Prince George, Virginia. This meant there were probably slaves working on tobacco fields. His father John Herbert was an active trader with connections in London UK.

Buller married 18 August 1720 to Mary Stith. Mary had been born around 1709 and died 17 Aug 1801.

Buller and Mary had children:

John Herbert, b. 4 April 1724, d. 1760

Ann Herbert Temple, b. 21 Mar 1726

Mary Buller Herbert Claiborne, b. 1728, d. 6 May 1801, who became my 6th great grandmother

Ancestry has listed some other children, but they don't have dates connected to their names.

Buller died in Nov. 1730. His wife Mary remarried to Charles Fisher in 1735 and had a child:

Elizabeth Fisher (1737-1801)

Buller and Mary Stith Herbert were my 7th great grandparents, with their daughter Mary Buller Herbert Claiborne my 6th great grandmother.

And yet there's even more to the story of my ancestry. 

Mary Stith Herbert's father was Lt. Col. Drury Stith, Sr. (1670-1741). His sister (aunt to Mary) was Anne Meriwether Stith Bolling (1660-1709) who became my ancestor as well. Her husband (his second marriage) was Col. Robert Thomas Bolling (1646-1709). They are my eight greats grandparents. 

Incidentally Col. Robert Thomas Bolling was married first to Jane Rolfe Bolling (1650-1676) who was the granddaughter of Capt. John Rolfe (1585-1682) and Pocahontas Matoaka aka Rebecca Rolfe (1595-1617).

I am so sad to see how many trees on Ancestry are completely wrong, without any references besides more wrong information. 

I am not a descendant from Pocahontas/Rebecca Rolfe...her son Thomas did have a son (Thomas) and a daughter Jane Rolfe Bolling (1650-1676) who married Col. Robert Thomas Bolling as his first wife. My ancestry comes from his second wife, Anne Meriwether Stith Bolling.

So I have double ancestry in Virginia of the Herberts, and through the Stiths to the Bollings.

 

OK, I also want to know how these lines came together to be grandparents of mine...or something .

Col Robert Bolling and second wife, Anne Meriwether Stith Bolling had a daughter Mary Agnes Bolling Kennon who married Richard Kennon, Jr. 

Their daughter Mary Kennon Clack married Col. John Clack, judge. Their son Lt. Spencer Clack of Sevierville TN is the basis of the Spencer Clack chapter of the DAR there. Besides fighting in the Revolutionary war, he was my 5th great grandfather. He married Mary DeBeauvillers/Beavers Clack and their daughter Catherine Clack Rogers married Rev. Elijah Rogers.

Their son Micajah Clack Rogers married Cyntha O. Cannon, and their son George Washington Rogers married Lucinda Benson Gibbs Rogers. Their son William Sanford Rogers married Elizabeth (Betty) Bass Rogers. And she was a descendant of the Stith family! Incidentally they were my great great grandparents! (see the following quick descriptions of the other side of this line.)

-----------------

Now let''s follow the Stith line, from Lt. Col. Drury Stith, to my 7th great grandmother Mary Stith Herbert Fisher, who was first married to Buller Herbert.  Their daughter Mary Buller Herbert Claiborne  married Col. Augustine Claiborne. 

Their daughter Suzanna (Sukey) Claiborne Jones married Frederick Jones. Their daughter Sarah Skelton Jones Traylor married Champion Travis Traylor, Sr.  Their daughter Nancy Jones Traylor Powell married James Moore Powell.

The Powell's daughter, Mary Ann Elizabeth (Mae) Powell Bass married Col. Richard (Dick) Bass.

Their daughter Elizabeth (Betty) Bass Rogers married William Sandford Rogers, my great great grandparents! 

This isn't all that amazing, as many families had first, second or third cousins marrying. It does make for interesting trees, however!

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks - Week 28 (July 9-15): Random

Born July 1, 1939, Owasso, Michigan. 

(Repost from 2019 THEN with updates for 2023 NOW)

THEN: Happy eightieth birth anniversary to Doug, my ex-husband, father of my two oldest sons!

THEN: So glad to have shared part of our lives together.  And I am thrilled that he's made it to the big eight oh.  He is happily married to Millie now. They have a houseful of cats (I'm told.)

NOW: Millie died a couple of years ago. Doug cleared out his house of a lifetime of things and moved into an apartment in Sun City Center, FL. 

THEN: Birth of Russell Heym, August, 1967...Doug then Barbara then Marty holding Russ.

THEN: Doug and Millie facing the camera, with granddaughter Caroline to the right. Millie is lit by her phone.  The dinner before Barbara Baker and Marty Heym's wedding April 22, 2019..

THEN: The Heym family reunion in CA...Doug on left, then Marty then Russ

THEN: Doug flew in a bi-plane, perhaps his 60th or 70th birthday?

We have actually something in common these days, besides our grown sons and grandchildren!
Doug was glad to take over as editor of my Heym Family Ancestry tree which was for our sons, if they ever wanted to know that side of their family.  And I was glad to give Doug the connection to the Mayflower, which he'd just heard of, but didn't have data for.

THEN: Russ, Doug and Marty, Thanksgiving 2017.

THEN: Marty and Doug.

THEN: A bunch of soccer lovers who met at my apartment in St. Augustine to go to Jacksonville for a soccer match... Left to right, Tai Rogers, Barb Rogers, standing behind her a friend of Tai's from Eckerd College, Marty Heym, Millie Heym, Doug Heym, Michelle Naglieri, Russ Heym. Probably 1997-2000.  It was after the World Cup was held in Orlando (1994), thus the US shirts on my 3 sons, but after Tai started college thus his friend coming for the game (in 1997) And it was before Russ and Michelle married in 2001!

THEN: Photos below that were posted on Facebook, of his party in 2019.

 Marty & Doug Heym

 Marty's kids, Michael Thurston, Cayenne Heym, Will Heym

 He's finally an old man!

Doug and Millie Heym

 Better photo with everyone looking at camera!  Marty, Doug, unknown, Michael, Cayenne, Will, Millie, Barbara Baker, Bev Baker.

NOW:

Last Christmas (2022) Russ and his wife and 3 girls visited Doug, and Marty and his three children joined them for the following photo. Wonder who the photographer was.

NOW: Early in 2023 Doug's brother Rick died, and in April he and son Marty went to MA to attend the memorial for him.

NOW: Father's Day 2023, Doug with Marty. Since Marty lives right in Brandon, close to where Doug now lives, they can get together for holidays.

NOW: And here's a birthday photo which was shared on FB this July for Doug's 84th.

Marty, Doug, Michael, and Will seated, with cousin Margaret Heym Lemon and her husband standing. I'm not sure the cousin connection between Doug and Margaret, but they've been getting together since the family reuinion in California. And I don't know when that was held, maybe 2015?

Sharing with 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks on FaceBook under Generations Group.