Wednesday, April 16, 2008

McLelland Descendancy

To continue with the Descendancy of our family line of McLelland's, (also spelled McClelland, McClellan), James Burr McLelland and his wife, Eliza Gibson Head were married 4 July 1833 in Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina and had eleven known children. This marriage information came from a relative.

Their 11 Children were:

1. George D McLelland, Born abt 1834 in South Carolina and presumably in Columbia, Richland County. Died: 20 November, 1884, Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi. Information from rootsweb message board post stated that in the Macon Beacon newspaper book by the historical society: "George D. McLelland, son of Rev. J. B. McLelland died Nov 20 of consumption. Survived by wife and two children." He was listed on his Father, James Burr's Will in 1883.
Census Records: 1850, Occ: Teacher - also listed in 1850 in Mobile, Mobile, Alabama living with his Uncle GKD McLelland and his family. In Mobile, G.D. the nephew of GKD by his brother James Burr McLelland was working as a clerk in his Uncle's store.
1880, George McLelland in the city of Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi Federal Census working as a Bookkeeper and with a wife simply listed as "M.A." born in abt 1839 with two children: Stella, female, born abt 1861, and Allison William, male, born about 1866. Wife "M.A." is believed to have the maiden surname of Youngblood. No further information has been found on the two children. George's middle name is probably "Dougherty" like his uncle GKD. More research is needed on this family line.

2. Theodore R McLelland, Born abt 1835/36 in Winston County, Mississippi. Never married. Died: 1903 Bryan Brazos County, Texas. Buried: Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

3. Sue Ann McLelland, Born May 1839 in Winston County, Mississippi. Never married. Occupation: Music Teacher. Died: 11 Mar 1917, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas - Music Teacher.

4. Robert "Bob" Clayton McLelland, Born 1839, Winston County, Mississippi. Never married. Died: 1895 Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Buried: Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

5. James H. McLelland, Born 1839 in Mississippi. Twin of Robert Clayton. He was listed on the 1850 census, age 10. James is not listed on the 1860 census with his family. Civil War service
indicates he was with 29th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, Company K, Rank: Private - Civil War/Confederacy. Harris County, Texas Marriage Record found for J H McCellan and Florada Wynns (Florida Elizabeth Wynns) for 20 April 1863. James H was listed as deceased and had an heir named W. Clayton McLelland, (William) on the distribution of estate assets of his father in 1883. (Note for James H: Possible middle name could have been "Head" or "Harrison" for the parents ancestors.) Son William Clayton McLelland was raised by his Mother and stepfather (last name of Bishop) and appears to have lived out his life primarily in the Houston, Harris County, Texas area. More research is needed to locate James H McLelland's death date and burial place.

6. Franklin Moses McLelland, my Great Grandfather was Born 30 November, 1844, Winston County, Mississippi, and married Nancy "Nannie" Catherine Phillips, daughter of Moses Clinton Phillips and Catherine Bracken. Died: 20 June 1931, Idalou, Lubbock County, Texas. (It's interesting to note that Franklin Moses bears the same first and middle names as his presumed Uncle, Franklin Israel Moses, Sr, who was a South Carolina Supreme Court Justice in 1868.) Children of this couple: Robert Clayton McLelland, Othello McLelland (my paternal Grandmother) and Ida McLelland. See separate blog for more information on my Great Grandfather's family.

7. Allister G. McLelland, born 1844, Winston County, Mississippi, d. 1881, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Never married. Presumed Cause of Death: Syphilis. He was noted on the 1880 census as having this disease. Buried: Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

8. Marcia Ophella McLelland, Born June 1848, Winston County, Mississippi, married Francis Foster "FF" Hooper Jr, (husband of her deceased sister Eliza - see #9) in Brazos County, Texas on 2 November 1879 by W. H. Head (most likely a cousin of hers through her Mother's family) Died: 1910, probably in Robertson County, Texas where her husband died in 1906.

9. Eliza M. McLelland, born abt 1849, Winston County, Mississippi, married Francis Foster "FF" Hooper, Jr; died before 1882, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Buried: Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Children of this couple: William F Hooper b. abt 1872 and Marcia A Hooper b. abt 1875 who married Robert A Fraser and as of 1930 this couple was living in Calvert, Robertson County, Texas.

10. Sarah Jane "Sallie" McLelland, Born 17 June 1853, Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi; married Wesley Virgil Waldrop, Sr. Died: 21 Sept 1929, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas. Sarah's daughter and her family was living in El Paso at this time, so Sallie was most likely living with them. Buried: Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

11. William "Willie" McLelland, Born August 1854, Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi, Died January 1855, Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi. Death information from a post on the rootsweb message board about people buried in Soule Chapel Cemetery, in Noxubee County, Mississippi, of which he was one. His name is listed, per the message board post, in the "Noxubee County "Tombstone Inscription" book put out by the Noxubee County Historical Society in 1975. This was actually a surprise to us to hear of an eleventh child. Eliza, his mother would have been about 41 years of age at the time of his birth. But as we know in those days, there could have been more children that went unrecorded.

It's always been interesting to me that four of the children who lived, to the best of our knowledge, never married: Theodore R, Robert Clayton, Sue Ann and Allister.

We know that their first child George was born in about 1834 in South Carolina so this family moved to Mississippi about 1835, because the second child Theodore was born in Mississippi.

A Mississippi State and Territorial Census was found for the year of 1837 in Winston County, Mississippi. The census states indicates one male and female between the ages of 21 and 45 years of age, with two males under the age of 18, indicating James and Eliza as the adults and the two eldest boys, George and Theodore.

According to the "Robert Coleman from Virginia to Texas 1652-1965" online book, Eliza's Father William Woodward Head died 1 July 1837 in Winston (now Choctaw) County, Mississippi. In Chapter 16, it states that James B McLelland signed for his wife, as they received 7 slaves in the distribution of the estate of Eliza's father. Her Mother, Susannah Gibson (Harrison) Head died 2 November 1844, Winston (now Choctaw) County, Mississippi.

The US Federal 1840 Census indicates another boy (Robert) and a girl (Sue Ann) living with the family in Winston County, Mississippi, located in the mid-east portion of that state. On 27 February 1841, James Burr bought 80.42 acres of land in Choctaw County, Mississippi.

In the Coleman Book, it is states that James B McLelland was Sheriff of Winston County, Mississippi. This family was still in Winston County in 1845 per a state census and on the 1850 US Federal Census and again on an 1853 state census. James B is listed as Justice of the Peace as his occupation in 1850. The 1850 census list nine children and ten slaves, with a real estate value of $500. A land purchase record was found for 1 April 1856, for land in Attala County, Mississippi. This record is somewhat confusing as to the reason for the this land purchase.

In the 1860 US Federal Census, it shows that the family moved one County east to the city of Macon in Noxubee County, Mississippi. James Burr's occupation was listed as Clerk for the City of Macon at age 47, his real estate value was $500 and his personal estate was recorded at $11,000. Undoubtedly, most of this value was the sixteen slaves and two slave houses listed. Eliza, age 46, and seven of the children were still living at home, the youngest girl being born in 1853. George and the twins, Robert and James, were not listed as living at home.

The Civi War period must have created many change for this family. Records indicate the family stayed in the city of Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi for the whole of the Civil War period. James Burr was a Captain of a Home Guard Company in his area with several of his sons and relatives serving in other Home Guards in the area. Son Franklin Moses was the only one of the children found enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate war service.

James Burr performed many marriages in Mississippi where he lived, as many records have been found showing him as M.G. (Minister of the Gospel) doing so. One of the records was found as late as 1866, so the family stayed in Mississippi until after the Civil War. Sometime between 1866 and 1870, the family moved to Texas.

By 1870 James B, age 57, with his wife Eliza, age 56, and seven children are found in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. There he was a grocer merchant with a real estate value of $700, no personal estate amount was given. Four of the children, age 18 to 32 had no occupation, and three, ages 23 to 30, were clerks in the grocery store. Frank and Robert were listed on the County Poll Tax records for 1870.

December 1879 brought about the death of Eliza at age 65. The year of 1880 listed James, age 67, as the County Treasurer. Four of the children remained at home, all unmarried; Theodore R., age 45, was Sexton of a Baptist church; Robert C, age 40, was a Druggist; Sue, age 38, was a Music Teacher; Allie G. age 35, is not listed with a occupation, but had not worked for at least the past year due to him having syphilis, as indicated by the 1880 census.

Again, December broke up the family as James Burr McLelland died on the 12th, 1880, one year after his wife. The majority of this family is buried in the Bryan City Cemetery at Bryan, Brazos County, Texas in lots four and five purchased by James McLelland in 1869. Settlement of his Estate is listed on the Brazos County, Texas records.

ABSTRACT OF PROBATE COURT RECORDS regarding: James Burr McLelland
March Term 1883 - Order approving distribution of funds on hand of Estate of Jas. B. McLelland by E.C. McLelland, Administrator. To be paid to heirs as follows, Ninety and 90/100 collars, viz:
George D. McLelland
T.R. McLelland
Sue McLelland
Frank McLelland
The legal guardian of Frank Hooper and Marcia Hooper minor heirs of Eliza M. Hopper, formerly Eliza M. McLelland, now deceased.
Sallie J. Waldrop, wife of W.V. Waldrop, formerly Sallie J. McLelland.
Marcia Hooper, wife of F.F. Hooper, formerly Marcia McLelland.
W. Clayton McLelland, surving heir of J. H. McLelland, now deceased
R.C. McLelland
To R.C. McLelland the share as interest of A.G. McLelland, deceased, to remunrate the said R.C. McLelland for moneys paid out and expended by hi for last illness and burial expenses of A.G. McLelland.

March Term 1883 - Annual Amended Exhibit. All heirs reside in Brazos County, Texas except Frank McLelland resides in San Saba County, Texas; Geo. D. McLelland resides in Noxubee County, Mississippi, Clayton McLelland resides in Caldwell County, Texas.

I have only listed above the dates of two of the courts records in order to establish the "people" involved and who were still living and where they lived.

Tombstones for the family buried in the Bryan City Cemetery in Bryan, Brazos County, Texas were photographed by my mother, Ouida Nell (Strange) Doss in 1983. Names, dates and wording on tombstones is as follows:

James B McLelland, Born July 4, 1812, Died Dec 12, 1880.
Eliza G. wife of James B. McLelland. Died Dec 6, 1870, Aged 66 years.
"She has gone from loved ones just for awhile
In the arms of Jesus with a heavenly smile
She has passed 'neath the worlds pain for rod
To Rest Forever in the arms of God."
Theodore R. McLelland, 1836-1903
Robert C. McLelland, 1839-1895
Sue McLelland, Died Mar 11, 1917, "Asleep with her loved ones"
Allister "Allie" G. McLelland, 1845-1876
(The date of death seems to be incorrect since he is listed on the 1880 census.)
Eliza M

Mother, Eliza G. (Head) McLelland's tombstone does not note her actual date of birth, so it is unfortunately, not known - only a birth year.