Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
My great great grandfather (William Daniel Wright, born Jun 27, 1847 in AL)'s death certificate lists his mother's maiden name as Poe (no first name, born in AL). His father's name is listed as William H. Wright.
In 1850 Choctaw Co, AL there is a Wm. H. Wright w/wife Elizabeth (age 21) and son Wm. D. Wright (age 3). Why they are there, I haven't the foggiest (this is the only family that fits, though).
By 1860 in Fayette Co, AL I find Elizabeth C. Wright as head of household, age 31, w/son William D. age 11 and 3 other children (Jas. M age 8; Mahala J., age 6; Rebecca A, age 4). She is living amongst a "clutch" of Poe families: Calvin Poe's family is in dwelling 573; S. C. Poe's family in dwelling 574, 575 is some other family I didn't transcribe, 576 is Elizabeth Wright and family, and 577 is Stephen N. Poe and family. Of these Poe's only Calvin (age 55) is old enough to be her father. That doesn't mean he is, of course.
I do not know where Elizabeth or William are in 1870; but in 1873 William Daniel Wright married America Jane West (my great great grandmother) in Fayette Co, AL. William D. Wright and America Jane West moved to Winston Co., MS around 1890 or so, raised their family there, and remained there until they died.
So finding a family that fits in 1860 Fayette Co, living amongst other Poe's (given that is his mother's maiden name) makes me think this is the correct Wright family. And I would assume that the Poe's are related to her somehow; my question is how? I've been perusing other's gedcoms for the family of Calvin Poe and there is no child, niece, cousin, etc. listed that fits her profile (and apparently he had plenty children; I haven't found any lists that match Stephen N. Poe next door to her, either)...is anyone familiar w/this Fayette Co, AL Poe family, and where (if at all) my Elizabeth could fit into it? Or anything else that could point me in the right direction? Many thanks in advance for any help!
-Pam
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
Pam, My family derives from the Fayette County, Alabama Poe group. I have a great deal of data on the family from that area. But, nothing specific to your query exactly. I think you are exactly correct about your Elizabeth being part of this "clutch." SC Poe is Stephen Calvin Poe, the son of Calvin C Poe, son of Simon Poe, son of Major James Simon Poe, etc. The Stehpen "N" Poe you mention, is one that I have not placed. Also, the "N" that the census taker wrote down could be another letter, such "W". It is very hard to read. Some members of the Wright family migrated to Saline (now Grant) County, Arkansas. Della May Poe, the daughter of William Threet Poe and his third wife, Mary Melton married Arthur Stanton Wright, son of Thomas Wright and Mary Penelope Carraway. Their descendants moved to Oklahoma. Martha Carraway is in the household of that Stephen "N" Poe in 1860. She is aged 40 and from North Carolina. One would suspect that she is realted to Stephen's wife, Susan (aged 22). At any rate, perhaps the Carraway connection will give you some clues. Also, the Melton family might be a clue. The Melton and Poe families knew each other through several states. In fact, M. W. Melton is in that "clutch" you mention. Household 882 Is Bradley Nall (they moved to Ark and married Poe) and next is M. W. Melton and then Elish Melton. I'll keep looking, too. Please let me know if you find more. This is the line I am most interested in documenting. My ancestry site on this family is http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:23893...Much data on the early Poe family at http://www.mindspring.com/~poefamilyWilliam Poe
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
I found a few things that make placing my ancestor even more confusing. Going back to the Choctaw co, AL family (which I am not sure is mine; nor am I 100% positive that the Fayette Co. Elizabeth is mine, either!), I find a marriage record transcribed for William Wright and Elizabeth "Rowe" in Washington Co. AL (adjacent to Choctaw) in 1846. There were Rowe's AND Powe/Poe's in Choctaw and Washington Co. then (an Oliver H. Poe/Powe b abt 1806 SC, w/several sons). Also many, many Wrights there. Choctaw/Washington Co seems an awful long way from Fayette (which is where I had always expected to find William Wright, at least by 1870, since he married there). It would seem unlikely that the Poe's of both areas would have been related closely enough that a widowed/abandoned (as head of household in 1860, I'm assuming she was widowed?) Elizabeth Wright would have moved all the way to Fayette from Choctaw to be near them. So I begin to suspect that I am working w/2 different families...or several unrelated coincidences. Frustrating!
In 1870, I still haven't found anyone I can positively identify as my William Wright; but the family of America Jane West (who William Wright would marry in 1873) is in Tuscaloosa, AL at this time, enumerated 5 households from a Wyatt Poe (b. abt 1801? NC) and a couple households away there is a James S. Poe (b abt 1835, AL). So there's more Poe proximity for me to work on.
I KNOW that the Wests were from Fayette, and that's where William Wright married America. I know that William D. Wright's mother was a Poe. I just don't know which, if either, of the Choctaw/Fayette families are his!. I'm going to have to shake the Poe trees from both areas and see what comes tumbling out, I suppose. The only "clue" that I have that his mother might have been "Elizabeth" are the two census records (which may not even be the same family). Naturally, most of the William Wrights in AL also had sons named William, so placing him w/o much more info than I have is going to be tedious. I wish his mother's first name had been on that death certificate!
Even more frustrating, no Poes or Wrights seemed to come to Winston Co, MS with William and America when they left AL. So no hints there, not so far at least.
I will also pursue the other families you told me about; perhaps some of the intermarriages will be a clue. It just seems like more than a coincidence that I find a William D. Wright living so close to Poes in Fayette Co...this is going to take a lot of digging!
If you find anything promising, please let me know. If I find anything definitively linking Wm. Wright w/your Poes, I'll let you know. My head is spinning with all these Poes and Wrights now! I have just enough information now to confuse myself...
Thanks so much for your help and hints. I will probably be in touch if I get any of this straightened out!
-Pam
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
Pam,
My wife Beverly's 4G aunt Mary Emily TYNER b. 1815 GA, d. abt. 1865 second marriage was in Tuscaloosa Co., AL to Wyatt POE b. 1800 NC. Below is a partial transcript of the 1860 Fayette Co., AL census.
Fred & Beverly Downs
Date: 1860 13 Aug Type: 1860 Tuscaloosa Co., AL Census, Western Division, New Lexington P.O., Page 668, Lines 5-10, Dwelling #618, Family #586, N. A. CRIBBS, Asst. Marshal Quality: Excellent Location: National Archives, Washington, D.C.
05. POE, Wiat head 60 NC farmer 06. POE, Emily wife 45 GA 07. POE, Elizabeth F. dau 14 AL 08. POE, John son 12 AL 09. POE, Joe son 11 AL 10. POE, Sarah R. dau 7 AL
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
Thanks for the info, Fred. Since I made this post some years ago I have made a tiny bit of headway into this family but not much (I still have no idea which Poe family my Elizabeth was from). However I CAN confirm that the apparently widowed Elizabeth (Poe) Wright in the 1860 census is my ancestor. I obtained death certificates of 2 of her other children (Mahalia Jane and Rebecca A.). So 4 out of 5 people in that 1860 census I have accounted for; all of them ended up moving to Winston Co, MS and are buried in the same cemetery there.
My Elizabeth Poe was born 25 Mar 1829 in AL and died 17 Oct 1910 in Winston Co, MS. I've almost given up on her as I think there were possibly THREE separate Poe lineages living around Fayette/Tuscaloosa at that time, and she doesn't seem to fit in with any of them as far as I know. She doesn't seem to fit in with the Powes from Choctaw Co, AL either.
I am at a total loss with her.
I will say though that in my tree I have a Mahala Clarentine TYNER married to a Benjamin Franklin WEST...This Benjamin Franklin West was 1st cousin to my America Jane West who married William Daniel Wright (the son of William Wright and Elizabeth POE!). So maybe there is a connection here? I don't know Mahala Tyner's lineage but I am intrigued by the fact that one of Elizabeth Poe Wright's daughters was also named Mahala. So while the Elizabeth Poe in that 1860 census you posted is NOT my Elizabeth, I am intrigued by the Tyner connection! I will dig into this more.
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
Hi Pam, My name is David Hammons and Benjamin Franklin West and Mahalia Clarentine Tyner were my gg grandparents. I just wanted to say that in all my research I have never run across the Poe family. I know how rough the research can be. I am constantly running into folks going by their middle names instead of their first names. That can get very frustrating. Best of luck to you in your research.
|
Re: Poe families of Fayette County, Alabama; where could my Elizabeth fit in?
There is another S C Poe who lived in Ky, Barren County. A lot of people have that census record as belonging to Stephen Calvin Poe, but it doews not.
I cannot find the person but I think there was a first wife to C C Poe who had the first two children. Mary Willi9ngham would have been 12 years old when Elbert was born. James Thomas Poe was born before their marriage.
That is the only think that I can think of I believe he married a woman before he left North Carolina
|