Some thoughts about John L. McGuire

1. John L. was named for an unknown family McGuire family member. Margaret's Kelley family had no Johns that we know of, while in Davidson's family there are several other Johns (son of Isaac McGuire and son of Timothy and Mary Phinney/Finney McGuire) and at least one other John L. (son of Thomas McGuire and Margaret Hayes; lived in Marion County, AL).

2. What the "L" stands for, nobody knows. One family tree by a researcher I respect has "LeTerpsey" as a possibility, but it's just a suggestion. There's no proof.  And if my middle name were "LeTerpsey," I'd use just the middle initial, too. 

Another possibility—but again, no proof—is that John's middle name was "Len." His daughter Mary Drusilla named her first son "Len Franklin." John's other surviving children, Ellen and Stephen, both had sons named "John," but not with the middle initial "L."

3. A sad fact here:

Several of John's in-laws and children named their offspring "John." For example:

• John H. McLaughlin, son of William H. and Mary Jane McGuire McLaughlin

• John McLaughlin, son of Joseph and Alsy McGuire McLaughlin

• John Walter Hill, son of Ellen McGuire and William Hill

• John T. McGuire, son of Stephen Douglas McGuire and Ada Wilson

Yet, in a family that used the same names over and over, none of this couple's in-laws or children named their female offspring "Britta Ann." Makes you wonder what she was like....

4. The 1850 and 1860 Censuses in which John appears both put his birth year as 1833. Assuming that's true, he does not appear in the 1830 U.S. Census for AL, but there are three males younger than 10 (Timothy, James, and Charles). In the 1840 U.S. Census for AL, there's one male 5 - 10 (John L., 7) and three males 10 - 15 (Timothy, James, and Charles). By 1840 John L. had lots of younger sibs, too. (Sarah, Alsy, Robert, Hiram K., and maybe Emily)

5. John L. was a middle child. According to several websites, middle children play off the attributes of older siblings. See this article from Parents.com:

http://www.parents.com/baby/development/sibling-issues/how-birth-order-shapes-personality/?page=3

Since they must negotiate for attention, middle children may be very diplomatic. On the other hand, feeling that the older children get all the positive attention, they may rebel and seek friends outside the family. John L. seems to have been the latter type, though he may have been tight with his brother Charles. 

I base this conclusion on several facts:

• 1851: Fighting and beaten at age 18 in Shelby County 

• 1852: Joining Mt. Hebron Church at age 19 to make amends

• 1854: Marrying Britta Ann Green, an outsider who seems to have come from nowhere

• 1854: Being excluded from Mt. Hebron in 1854 for swearing. No record of  ever returning

• 1854 - 1860: Giving his children names that do not run in his family, even though most of his siblings did

• 1860: Having $50 on hand for the 1860 Census. It was not unusual for children to get their inheritances early; and this would explain why John L. is not mentioned in W.H. McLaughlin's 1867 notes on distributions from Davidson's estate. 

6. I believe that John L. was tight with his brother Charles. They were only four to five years apart in birth order, and Charles was the brother closest in age to John L. I base this theory on several facts:

• John got married just days after Charles. 

• In Leeds, Her Story a soldier reminisces about the 18th AL and mentions "John and Charlie McGuire" in the same breath.

• John and Charles served together in the 18th AL Infantry. 

7. That's all for now, folks. 

The mysteries of Mary Drucilla

Mary Drucilla McGuire was born October 22, 1858, probably in Leeds, AL. She was the second child and second daughter of John L. McGuire and Britta Ann Green.

We think.

MYSTERY # 1:

Family trees usually list Mary Drucilla as the daughter of Britta and John. Certainly everyone in my line assumes that she was Britta's daughter, and I've never heard otherwise from anybody. But her death certificate records Georgia Smith as her mother. See here:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JDFL-N14

A Smith family did live near the McGuires in the 1860 Census. I've spent years investigating whether or not John L. hanky-pankied with their daughter nicknamed Georgia, but so far have found nada.

So...

Let's for the moment assume that Mary is Britta's daughter.


MYSTERY # 2:

Why was she named Mary Drucilla? 

The "Mary" part is easy. Britta Green's older sister—or possibly (but not likely) mother—was named Mary. But why the name "Drucilla"?

Three theories make sense:

• "Drucilla" is a family name. It has certainly carried down our family line, even to the current generation. 

• Mollie was named for neighbor Drucilla Ragsdale. 

• Britta just liked the name. 

None of Britta's surviving children are named for people in John L.'s family. This is odd, considering how both the McGuires and the Greens used the same names generation after generation. So I'm guessing that Britta decided to name this child after her good friend, Drucilla, the doctor's wife.



MYSTERY # 3

Why did 12-year-old Drucilla live with the Hayden family as a domestic servant in Randolph, Bibb County, in 1870? Both siblings Ellen and Douglas were living with mother Britta and step-dad Mike Flynn in Randolph. If the family needed money, why didn't Ellen live with another family as domestic help, too?  



MYSTERY # 4

Why did Mary Drucilla marry so young? She was born October 22, 1858, and married in January 29, 1874, making her only 15 when she married the widower Simmin. Her sister Ellen married at age 14. Why? Did they want to escape their step-father? Or did they want to escape Britta?

MYSTERY # 5

What in the heck did Mary Drucilla see in Simmin Aaron Edins anyway???? He drank and he shot people. He went to jail for it. I don't see it, but of course, she didn't ask my opinion. I wasn't even born yet. Her early marriage to a tough, tough man eight years her senior suggests that she would have done anything to get out of a bad home situation. 

Just sayin'....