Susan E. Witty Moore (1856-1902)

And more about the Witty family, among many who were pioneers in Texas.

Originally posted on Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Eugenia Witty Booth's youngest sister (Eugenia was my great great grandmother)

Susan E. Witty Moore was born Dec 28, 1856, in Marshall, Texas.  I believe by 1857 her father had started the Subdivision in Hill County that was to be named Woodbury, and in the cemetery many of the Witty family are buried, including Susan.  

By the 1860 census of the Witty family, she is listed (as of July 30 when the census was taken) as being four years old. There was one source (another census) which gave her age such that she would have been born in 1857, but I'm going with 1856 and have changed the Ancestry listing on my tree.

It is nice that the youngest of 9 children was named after her mother, Susan Hoke Witty.  

In the 1870 census her family says she is 13 (in agreement with having been born in 1856, because her birthday isn't until Dec. and the census was in July again...thus the question was answered, how old will she be in this year?

The wonderful census of 1900 tells how long people had been married, as well as listing their names and birthdates and the states in which they were born.

In 1877, Susan had married a farmer, James J. Moore, and they lived (in 1900) in Justice Precinct 2, Hill County, Texas with their 14 year old daughter, Edna.  James is listed as having been born in Alabama, as her parents were, though later records suggest he was born in Texas.  

Susan Witty Moore died Sept 10, 1902, in Woodbury, Hill County, Texas, and has a nice big grave marker in the Old Woodbury Cemetery, where many other of the Witty family are buried.  


The "Texas Find A Grave" information gives this information about her:

Children: Edna Mae Moore (1885 - 1916)

Siblings: Martha E Witty Barnes (1846 - 1914) Mary Witty Hughes (1848 - 1876), Laura Dove Witty Patty (1854 - 1935)

Her daughter, Edna, died of tuberculosis in 1916, and her death certificate information was given by her father, J. J. Moore. So I know he lived until that year in June.  Unfortunately I am unable to find much information about James J. Moore.

She may have been only 46 when Susan E. Witty Moore died, but she outlived her sister, my great great grandmother who died at 23 in 1877.

In the 1880 census, Susan Witty Moore (actually 24, but listed as 20) was living with her parents in Hill County TX, as well as a niece, Freby Moore, age 21.  Susan Witty had married in 1877 to James Moore...but for some reason was living with her parents and using her maiden name.  And whoever Freby Moore was, the niece, she was born in Alabama.  Perhaps James' sister?   Susan and James Moore didn't have their daughter, Edna May More, until 1885.

But this Uncle James "J.J." Moore (b. 1856 Marshall TX) had a life which continued after his wife Susie died in 1902, and he remarried to have more children.  He also lived until 1932, and here's a great photo of him in his corn field in 1930.

Great times 3 Uncle James Joseph Moore 1854-1932

Great x3 grandfather Carroll Witty (1818-1898)

Repost from Monday, April 9, 2018

A man named Carroll...

Carroll Witty, (1818-1898) that is, my 3 times great grandfather on my mother's maternal side, the Booth Family Tree.

We reviewed the lives of most of his children in (2018) the last week.  I'd deleted the new one added in Ancestry, born in 1882, named Permella Witty, born in Marshall TX - died in 1963,  Fort Worth, TX.  I found later that Permilia was granddaughter of Carroll Witty, daughter of William Wiley Witty (1854-1929) and his wife Molly Paschal Witty (1853-1933).

I have already covered much of the patriarch of the family's life.  But let's see if there's anything that isn't in the stories and photos, the background from one place to another where he traveled.  My old blog Here speaks of Carroll and his daughter Eugenia, and others in my family.

I found an Alabama agricultural census for 1850 had been recently added, with Carroll Witty having no land, either improved or unimproved, and no value of a farm, but $100 value for farm implements.  For the same year the federal census said he had a household of 8 persons.  He was 31, his wife Susan Hoke Witty was 32, and he had children; John C. 6. James 5, Martha E. 3, Mary 2, Thomas 0, and Joseph Hoke, 57 (his father-in-law).

The population census for the same year includes his brother (Andrew) Jackson Witty living next listing to his. Jackson did own land.  And his household was very interesting.  Jackson was 35 and his wife Emily was 26, and his mother's sister, Elizabeth Wells lived with them, age 75, and perhaps a cousin Sarah Wills 35 and unknown relationship Carlin Wills 26, and a mis-transcribed person Matilda Collins, 9 (listed as Marilda Colling).

I must salute Carroll Witty for taking his family to Texas, for being a entrepreneur and starting a new community (with partners) and for being a man with a mission.  He may have been a farmer in 1850, but by 1852 he was in Marshall TX, and by 1860 all the way in Hill County, Subdivision, TX.

This is a man who traveled far, as well as had a big family.  Though his 2 oldest sons took part in the Civil War, (and one died in it) there's no record that he did.  His family grew up, and daughters and sons married and moved away, and he continued to be a farmer.  In the 1870 census he had property valued at $1000 and his youngest 3 as teenagers were living at home as well as his oldest son James who was a stock raiser (perhaps cattle.)

UPDATED: He is listed as Terrell Witty, living with his wife Susan, in the 1880 census, with their daughter Susan actually 24, but listed as 20 living with them, as well as a niece, Freby Moore, age 21.  He is listed as "Terrell Witty" clearly in the handwritten form, but when someone says Carroll for a man's name, perhaps the census taker understood it as Terrell.  And their daughter Susan Witty had married in 1877 to James Moore...but for some reason was living with her parents and using her maiden name.  And whoever Freby Moore was, the niece, she was born in Alabama.  Perhaps James' sister?   Susan and James Moore didn't have their daughter, Edna May More, until 1885.

But this Uncle James "J.J." Moore (b. 1856 Marshall TX) had a life which continued after his wife Susie died in 1902, and he remarried to have more children.  He also lived until 1932, and here's a great photo of him in his corn field in 1930.

Great times 3 Uncle James Joseph Moore 1854-1932