We are looking for information on our Alabama/Georgia Washington family ancestry. Please help solve our old family mystery!

Our oldest known paternal ancestor was George Washington, no middle initial, who was first found in 1840 census at Girard [now Phenix city], Russell, Alabama, at the age of 19 - just across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia. Former and merged names of Girard include: Browneville, Knights Station, Lively and Phoenix City.

Living next door was John C. Alford Halford b. 1787 NC.

Info on George Washington's headstone in Sarepta, Calhoun, Mississippi, reads: "Sacred to the memory of George Washington, Born in VA 1821, Died 1869," however, we cannot find anything concrete that takes us back to VA. However, examining the 1850 census it says George was born in Alabama. His children, James Hiram and George, in the 1910 census both say their father was born in Alabama. Son John C. stated in the 1880 MS census that his father was born in Georgia, says in the 1900 MS census that Alabama is the birthplace of his father.

George was first married to Jincy Halford according to Mississippi death certificate of #2 son John C Washington. Search on Jincy results in nothing and am inclined to believe Jincy was a nickname.

George and first wife Jincy resulted in 3 children:

Francis Marion abt. 1839 AL d. 22 Apr 1862 Corinth, MS 18th AL Infantry Co. I, m. Louisa Archer daugh. of John Samuel Archer and Rosa E. BERRY of Shelby co;
John C. b. 30 Dec. 1840 AL d. 14 Feb. 1917 MS, 31st MS Inf. Co. D m. Margaret A Lewellen; and
Catharine b. Bet. 1841-1844 d. Bet. 1841-1844.

Family story is that wife Jincy died in childbirth.

Next George took a land purchase trip to Mississippi with father-in-law John C. Halford in 1841 as follows:
George Washington 27 Feb 1841 17 NESE CHOCTAW 12N 16E (Kemper co. MS),
John C Halford 05 Jan 1841 1 E½NE CHOCTAW No 2N 12E 26 (Jasper co MS).

George then m2 Mary Ann McEwen Jan. 1845 in Muskogee co, Georgia. The family was next found in Wetumpka, Coosa, Alabama in 1850 census. Also in the Wetumpka, Coosa, AL census next door to each other were John C. Halford and Catharine (Jincy's parents?) and Kirkham McEwen & Mary Canada(Mary's parents) - both father-in-laws old justices of the peace. Also listed in the Halford hh was Amanda Conaway who married Joseph Hinton Williams 17 Nov 1850.

Children of George Washington and Mary McEwen were:
Mary Ann m. James E. Lewellen no children
James Hirum Kirkham m. Sarah Adilene Hitchcock
Elizabeth (Lizzie) m. James H. Caldwell
Lucy Ann m1. Wm. Gathright Murphy m2. Millisee Moss
George m1. Mattie Gillespie m2. Gulania Boatsman
Joseph Perry m. Josephine O. Murphy

Searching through both father-in-laws I was able to fill in many blanks, but not the ancestry of George Washington.

I next found George made land purchase witnessed by brother-in-law Francis Marion McEwen in Elmore County (Coosa), AL 18 Jan 1856 (BLM Land Record #13576) SWNE NWSE Sec 2 20 17 with dwelling, corn crib and stable 119 acres.

I recently found George Washington listed in Choctaw Living in the Chickasaw District annuity rolls for union/pontotoc cos. MS between 1857-1860. Family story was we purchased land from Indians and were first white settlers in south Pontotoc county near Chickasaw county line, now known as Washington community.

The family arrived in Mississippi sometime before the death of John Halford's wife Catharine Brown in Feb 1859 in Sarepta. I found George's son John C Washington along with new bride Margaret listed in 1860 census at Sarepta, Calhoun, MS in the John C. Halford [Holford] household.

We are not certain when John C Halford b. 1787 NC died or where he is buried. His wife Catharine Brown b. 13 Jan 1795 SC d. 01 Feb 1859 burial Methodist Campground-Ragland cemetery in Sarepta. She was daugh. of James Brown abt. 1770 SC d. 09 Nov 1820 and Elizabeth of Warren county MS, formerly of SC. The will of James Brown lists daugh. Catharine Halford. Siblings of Catharine Brown were: Jeremiah, Jacob, Jane, Nancy, Elizabeth and Benjamin.

Apparently John C Halford was justice of the peace in Simpson county MS bet. 1823-1826. His father was John b. 1765 Pasquotank, Albemarle County, NC d. 1803 Rutherford, Albemarle County, NC. Mother was Nancy Dalton b. Bet. 1766 - 1768 Albemarle County, VA d. 1804 Rutherford County, NC.
Through research I find the Dalton's go back to the John Dandridge family b. 29 Apr 1655 Great Malvern, Wrcstr, England. So the descendants of George Washington and first wife Jincy Halford are blood related to the Dandridge and Washington families! But which Washington family?

Kirkham McEwen is a well documented justice of the peace moving to Alabama from GA in 1836 where they settled on the Tallapoosa River in Tallapoosa Co. ALA, about 14-miles south of Dadeville.

HINTS:
There was another Washington already residing in Pontotoc county Mississippi prior to our families arrival. His name was John Washington b. 1806 SC and was living in the James and William CHRISTIAN household in Washington community, Pontotoc co., MS. John Washington's daughters were: Martha b 1834 AL, Mary b. 1837 AL and Susan b. 1844 AL. What became of this John Washington and was he a relative?

Was Joseph H Williams who married Amanda Conaway in 1850 Coosa co AL a relative?

George's descendants participated in YDNA testing and are haplotype R1b1b2e and go back in time from N. Ireland to Scotland, to England & British Isles to south France and beyond matching to Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Significant multiple YDNA test matches at:
*37 marker level
WILLIAMS, MCTERNAN, MCTIERNAN, FERGUSON(TRUMBLE),FITZHENRY, HEARL
*25 marker level
CHRISTIAN, MCGEE, MCKEE, MCGEHEE, ALEXANDER, MCTERNAN, MACTIERNAN, MCTIERNAN, FERGUSON, DAUGHERTY, Williams, WALKER, DOHERTY, HARRISON, BOICE, MCGREW, HEARL, MCDONALD, LAW

Please help solve our family mystery!

Terrie