JOEL CRAIN
Joel CRAIN, born 27 February, 1762, Granville County, NC, (probably son of Ambrose CRAIN and Elizabeth HEAD)married Rachel (UNKNOWN) about 1775. Rachel was born 1760-1770, and died before 1825. On 10 August, 1825, in Limestone County, AL, Joel married Margaret MITCHELL (born about. 1780, MA, died after 1860.)
Joel's application for a Revolutionary War Pension documented that he enlisted in the Wilkes County, NC Militia in 1780 and served in the NC Line for three months patrolling at Cross Creek. Joel re-enlisted and served a second term of four to five months.
Joel and his older brother William moved from Wilkes County, NC, to Georgia, where Joel was on the 1792 Tax Roll of Wilkes County, GA. In 1806 Joel sold the land he had acquired in 1789 in Franklin County, GA. Joel and Rachel resided in Franklin County, GA, when they transferred property in Elbert County, GA, on 29 September, 1798. Joel was on the tax rolls of Bedford County, TN, from 1806-1825 where he sold land in 1816 and 1822; and was in Warren County, TN, in 1820. Joel's last move was to Crainville, Hatchie River, Hardeman County in 1825. Joel (as was his brother William who died in 1833) was buried in an unmarked grave near his home. In 1976 an historical marker was dedicated in the Hatchie Cemetery, Crainville Road, Hornsby, TN, to the memory of these American Revolution soldiers--William and Joel Crain.
Margaret Crain was enumerated, living alone, in the 1860 US Census of Hardeman County, TN.
Joel and Rachel's children probably were:
1. Elizabeth CRAIN, born 1776-1786, NC. Elizabeth married a Mr. HENDERSON and lived in west Tennessee.
2. Stephen CRAIN, Sr., born 1776-1777, in Rowan or Surry County, NC, (a farmer and gunsmith,) married Nancy "Patty" SPARKS about 1800 likely in Franklin County, GA. Nancy (born 10 June, 1786, Franklin County, GA, (daughter of Jeremiah and Nancy SPARKS) died before 1830 in White County, TN. Stephen and Nancy were in White County, TN by 1806. About 1831 Stephen married Mary RAGSDALE, who was born in South Carolina in 1804, (daughter of Jesse RAGSDALE and Margaret GLENN) and who died after 1880. Stephen moved from White County, TN, to Tippah County, MS, in 1833. Stephen was enumerated in White County, TN in 1820, in Tippah County, MS, in 1840, and in Pontotoc County, MS in 1850. Stephen died in September, 1859, in Pontotoc County, MS, His widow and son Joshua A. were enumerated in Pontotoc County, MS in 1860.
Mary Ragsdale Crain was enumerated in 1860 in Pontotoc County, with her youngest son, Joshua. In 1870 the blind Mary Crain lived in Tippah County, MS, with her daughter, Martha Sherman and grandson N. H. Sherman. In 1880 the 76-year-old Mary lived in Union County, MS, with daughter Martha Sherman; grandson -- Newell, and his wife Lucinda Sherman. Stephen and Nancy's children were Dixon, Bethel, Nancy B., Jeremiah Sparks "Jery," William Allen, Martin Peebles, Stephen, JR., Abijah Brooks "Ab," and John Dennis CRAIN. Stephen and Mary's children were: Jesse R., Louisa, Crockett, Martha "Patsy," Joshua Anderson, and Newell CRAIN .
3. Ambrose Hulon CRAIN, Sr. born 1786-1789. GA, married 08 September, 1811, in NC, to Mildred Mary "Polly" BURDITT (daughter of Giles Burditt), who died 16 February, 1866, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, TX. Ambrose was in Bedford County, TN, with his father from 1806-1825. Ambrose and Mildred were in Bedford County, TN, in 1830, but migrated to TX in 1834 and located in what is now Nacagodoches County where he took an active role in the fight for Texas Independence. Ambrose signed the petition for Texas to secede from the United States during the Civil War. He was listed in the 1840 Texas Census in Nacagodoches County. Ambrose died 25 December, 1850, Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, TX.
4. Rosamond CRAIN born 1790 married Mr. BURDITT.
5. John CRAIN, born 1793, VA, married Mary "Polly " DeLOZIER in Hardeman County, TN. He served as a Captain in the Texas Army from 1835 to 1839 and died 15 July, 1839, TX, at the Battle of Neches with Cherokee Indians.
6. Giles Burditt CRAIN, Sr. born 1794 married Sarah Carolyn FULGUM 15 February, 1832, in Hardeman County, TN.
7. Clara CRAIN, born 1790-1795, married William WOOD.
8. Mildred CRAIN, born 1790-1795, was married 01 January, 1810, in TN, to Jesse F. BURDITT, Sr., born 02 January, 1787, Edgefield District, SC. Jesse Burditt emigrated to Tennessee where he married Mildred Crain in 1810 and joined the Baptist church in 1811. They came to Texas in 1833, then went to Alabama for a few years; returned to San Augustine, TX, in 1841 and moved to Travis County, in 1844 south of the Colorado River below Montopolis where he had a cotton plantation.
Mildred and Jesse lived in Austin, TX, where Jesse took a active part in establishing a local government. The 1850 Travis County, Census Slave Schedule listed 25 slaves ranging in age from 1 to 66 years on the plantation of Jesse Burditt, Sr. The Burditt family had extensive land holdings on both sides of the Colorado River, east of Austin. Jesse established the Burditt Prairie Cemetery east of Austin for use by his slaves and the slaves from other Burditt Family plantations. Jesse died 21 April, 1855, in Travis County, TX, where he was buried in Fiskville Cemetery, Travis County, TX. Mildred died 04 August, 1870, Travis County, TX.
9. William W. CRAIN, born 30 April, 1796, was married in Hardeman County, TN, on 3 April, 1824, to Nancy E. WHITAKER (daughter of William Whitaker and Elizabeth Hammond) who died in early 1842, Marshall County, MS. William died 17 February, 1842, Hudsonville, Marshall County, MS. Following William's death, his brothers came from Texas to rescue his four orphaned children. Hardeman County, TN, deeds document William's presence in that county in 1830 (C:40), 1832 (C:271), 1835 (D:195), and 1839 (F:348). William was recorded in deeds in Marshall County, MS from 1835 to 1850 when his estate was settled.
10. Rodden Taylor CRAIN, Sr. born 3 March, 1798, Franklin County, GA, married Sarah Ann "Nancy" McKENZIE on 23 July, 1819, in Bedford County, Nancy died before 1839 Bolivar, Hardeman County, TN. Rodden married Cassandra Clark BLANKENSHIP on 04 September, 1842, in Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, TX. Rodden participated in the Texas Revolution. In the Eugene Barker Collection, University of TX Library, Austin, is a short biography of William Crain Sparks, in which he related difficulties he endured helping Gen. Sam Houston move a gun from Nacogdoches to San Antonia with Joel Burditt Crain and Rodden T. Crain. Rodden had deeds in Hardeman County, TN, in 1833 (D:420 , 421), 1836 (E:38), 1837 (E:331-Bill of Sale), 1855 (N:5), and 1859 (P:575). The San Jacinto Muster Rolls list a Roden Taylor in Capt. Kimbro's San Augustine Co., in the 21 April, 1836 Battle of San Jacinto.
11. Newel Walton CRAIN, born 1798 married Elizabeth WOMACK. Deeds filed in Hardeman County, TN, prove that Newell was in Hardeman County, TN, in 1832; 1833, and 1834.
Joel and Margaret's children were: Mary Ann CRAIN; Andrew CRAIN, born about 1825; and William CRAIN, born about 1827.
SOURCES
Bates, Lucy Womack, "Roster of Soldiers & Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Tennessee", 1974, Revised in 1979 by Helen Crawford Marsh, Tennessee Society, NSDAR. p. 43.
Crain, Joel, Application for Revolutionary War Pension, Court of Pleas & quarter sessions, April term, 1833.
Burditt, Cedrick
SCrain, Solon P. and Margaret Starr Crain, "Ten Sons of Oliver," Newsfoto Yearbooks, San Angelo, TX, 1972, p. 99, 100, 105, 106, 109, 111
Crain, Stephen--Will filed in Pontotoc Co., MS, 1860.
Deed Records from White County, TN; Hardeman County, TN, Marshall County, MS; and Pontotoc County, MS.
Douthit, Susan Carol "Sue" Elie,
Mason, Michael
Sistler, Byron & Barbara, "Early West Tennessee Marriages, Vol. I, Grooms" Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1712 Natchez Trace, P. O. Box 120934, Nashville, TN 37212, 1989.
Teague, Ruchie
Tillman, Melinda--e-mail 24 Dec., 1997. Joel Crain and wife Rachel, Deed of Conveyance, 29 Sept., 1798, Bk B., Elbert County, GA.
1850 Census--TN--Hardeman County
1860 MS Mortality Schedule