Confirmation of Timothy's wife

My helpful cousin who makes such nice soaps and does good genealogy just made me aware of collections at Familysearch.org that I hadn't known about. You can find these free collections at:

http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#r=0&p=allCollections

You can find her wonderful soaps at:

NaturalImpulse.com

Returning to the Familysearch.org site, a search on Isiac (Isaac) Mcguire in the Alabama Deaths 1908 - 1974 turns up confirmation that Elizah (Elizabeth Eliza) Wilson is indeed the wife of Timothy McGuire and the mother of his brood. A search on Martha J. Norris (should be Morris) shows Martha J. as the wife of R. K. Morris and daughter of Timothy McGuire and Eliza Wilson.

Such a great discovery. Thanks, cuz. I can't wait to mine this new-to-me collection for more nuggets!

Sarah Ann Hurst, wife of Charles McGuire

Charles McGuire was Davidson and Margaret Kelley McGuire's second or third--probably third--son. He was born about 1828 in Alabama, probably Leeds. The 1850 and 1860 US Censuses for AL are consistent in presenting 1828 as a birth year. According to the Alabama Marriage Index at Ancestry.com, he married Sarah Ann Hurst on January 20, 1854.

Sarah Ann Hurst was born between June and November 1833 or 1834 in North Carolina (probably 1833), the daughter of Spencer Hurst and (maybe) Catherine. Catherine's name is usually given as Marcum. This is probably the case although I have seen no direct evidence of it. Catherine may be Spencer's first or second wife--looks like the second from the gap in children's ages in the 1850 US Census for St. Clair, AL. No matter. Sarah was definitely living with them in the 1850 Census.

In 1858 Spencer Hurst bought land in Alabama. The significance of this, if I remember correctly, is that the land is very close to the land bought by Davidson McGuire. It's been a while since I've checked the records, but I believe the book showing it is the Family Lands book at the Birmingham Library. The exact source another time.

So in 1850 Sarah is living with her parents in St. Clair County. In 1854 she marries Charles McGuire in Jefferson County, just two days before Charles's brother John L. marries Britta Ann Green in Jefferson County. (This pairing of Charles and John L. is significant. More on that in another post.) In the 1860 US Census for AL, Sarah McGuire, 26, is living in St. Clair County, AL, with Charles and sons Isaac, Robert, and William. He is 32, a farmer, born AL, $400.

Charles died in a military hospital in 1863 during the war.

In the 1866 AL State Census Sarah McGuire is living in Jefferson County, AL. In the household are three males under 10, one male 10 - 20, one female 10 - 20 , and one female 20 - 30. Sarah would have been 33 or so, but the census taker made many age errors. Neighbors include her brother Edward Hurst and McGuire in-laws who married McLaughlins. It's important to note that she chose to stay near her McGuire in-laws after Charles died.

In the 1870 US Census for AL, S. A. McGuire is 36, keeping house, can read and write, born NC, $100. Also in the household are sons I. W., 13, R. I., 11, W.S., 9, and C.T. 7 (Charles T.). They are living next door to the in-law McLaughlins and Waldrop and all kinds of family.

After 1870 Sarah seems to disappear. Neither I nor anyone else seems to have found her in the 1880 US Census for AL, or any place, for that matter. She is not living with sons Isaac or William, and I can't find Charles and Robert. Barbara MS, a reliable McGuire researcher, has not found her, either.

The likelihood is that Sarah died before 1880, but I can't prove it. However, I can prove for sure that she was dead or incapacitated by 1884. In 1884 one of the McLaughlin in-laws instigates a court case that requires notification of all living heirs of Davidson McGuire. My ggggrandmother Britta Ann Green McGuire Flynn was served, even though she had remarried. However, only Charles's SONS are served, meaning that Sarah was either dead or incapacitated by then.

I often wonder if Sarah Ann Hurst and Britta Ann Green were friends. Their husbands Charles and John L. did things together. Maybe Sarah introduced her friend Britta to her fiancé's brother? Britta married John L. the Tuesday after Sarah and Charles got married in Jefferson County. If so, Sarah's loyalty was tested when Charles died. She remained near her McGuire in-laws while Britta moved away to be with her own family.

A hard life: married at 20, a widow at 30, and then she died young about 50, perhaps without seeing her grandchildren. So sad.

The life of Margaret Kelley McGuire

In a nutshell:

Babies and everlasting hard work.

To begin:

According to the Charles Kelley Bible, Margaret Kelley was born 20 January 1808. Her parents were Charles Kelley and Elizabeth Howard. Most family trees and the 1850 US Census for AL agree that she was born GA. Many family trees show her birthplace as Elberton, Elbert County, GA. Maybe it's true, but I have seen no proof. Maybe because I don't know the history of GA's counties well enough. For example:

In the Georgia Tax Digests 1809 - 1811 Charles Kelley and Robert Kelley and John Kelly are listed in 1810 in Pew/Pugh District, which I believe was in Jackson County, GA . Charles on Page 068, Robert 068, John 068. Robert Howard and William Howard are listed in Jackson County 1810, Robert in Pew/Pugh's District 068, and William 094. The records are on file at the Gadsden Public Library and anywhere the Georgia Tax Digests 1809 - 1811 are kept.

The Charles Kelley Bible is available here:

http://files.usgwarchives.org/ar/ashley/bible/k4000001.txt

An online source with the 1809 List is here:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gajackso/1809taxdigest.htm

The Georgia Tax Digests Vol. 3, 1814 - 1817 shows Charles Kelley and Robert Kelley both living in Jackson County, GA, in M. Hambleton's District.

In the 1820 US Census for AL, Chas. Kelly is listed in Shelby County, AL. The household has five females under 21 (including Margaret, who would have been 12). Nearby is the household of Timothy McGuire, Sr., where Davidson is probably the male under 21.

So Margaret has been on the move since age one. Pew's/Pugh's District, Hambleton's District, GA, then Shelby County, AL. Her mother, Elizabeth Howard Kelley, would have been 21 at her birth with another seven kids to manage by the time they were counted in the 1820 Shelby County, AL, Census. Margaret would have had her hands full just baby-sitting her siblings.

But wait...

In December 1822 at age 14 our Margaret marries Davidson McGuire, who is about 18. Probably 20. Has he been married before? Perhaps. His first son is Timothy McGuire, whose birthdate is usually given as January 1822. Was Davidson previously married? Did Davidson impregnate the 13-year-old Margaret and then have to marry her? Did she shame her family, but finally get the father to the altar? The possibilities are that there was a transcription error in the CK Bible, that Davidson was married before, or that the players really didn't keep track of the dates.

The reason for the discrepancy doesn't matter. Timothy named a daughter after her, indicating Margaret's importance in his life.

To continue:

In April 1835 Margaret joins the Mt. Hebron Baptist Church in Leeds, AL. By this time she is 27 and has already had Timothy (maybe), Mary Jane, James, Charles, Elizabeth Jane, Mahala, John L., Sarah Anne, and maybe even Alsy/Axy/Ailsie/Alice. Quite a caboodle. From the Mt. Hebron records at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.

By 1840 Hebron Church had excluded (removed from worship, effectively shunned) Davidson from worship because of excessive drinking. Margaret would have been 32 and had up to four more children: Alsy (maybe), Robert, Hiram K., and Emily.

Life continued for Margaret. Over the next nine years she would have "stood by her man" and done her job. By 1849 when Davidson was reinstated at Mt. Hebron Church by experience, she had borne Mary Amanda, Martha G., and William. Having her husband back in the church must have been a relief. Did his reinstatement indicate sobriety? One can only hope.

Her final child was Thomas, born 1851, when she was 49.

Margaret died in September 1859 according to the 1860 Jefferson County, AL, Mortality Schedules, of typhoid fever, age 51.

Possible burial places: Shiloh Cemetery, Cedar Grove Cemetery, Leeds, AL. I haven't found any record of her grave yet, and I doubt if I ever will.

16 kids in 37 years. A drunken husband. Farm life drudgery. Alabama summer heat and humidity. A hard life. Here's to Margaret's quiet determination.

(Copyright 2010 by ALRoots.Blogspot.com)

Odds and ends about Leeds, AL

Cemeteries I have found in AL that contain names connected with Davidson McGuire/Margaret Kelley family:

Cedar Grove, Leeds, St. Clair County, which is the first PO associated with Leeds.

Shiloh Cemetery in Jefferson County: Thomas Rowan, many of the McLaughlins, Martha Bailey

Bethel Cemetery, St. Clair County: Many of the members of Hebron Church where D & M worshipped came from here

Seddon Cemetery, St. Clair County: Timothy and wife Elizabeth McGuire

Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Jefferson County: Britta Ann Green, wife of John L. McGuire, Ellen Nora McGuire Hill, Mary Drucilla McGuire Eddins

Many names are found at Findagrave.com, though not all listings are complete.

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Website that talks about why Leeds, AL, is associated with three counties:

http://www.leedshistoricalsociety.org/page14.html

Confirmed death date for Timothy McGuire, son of DM, born 1822

In the 1900 US Census for AL, T. M. McGuire lives with his daughter Zebba (T. Uzeba) and son-in-law John Gallups in District 130, Harpersville, Shelby County, AL. He is 78, born Jan 1822, married 52 years, born AL, parents born AL (wrong), speaks, reads, writes English. His wife Louisa is there, too. They've been married 52 years. She's born nine children, of whom seven are still living. (Speculation: They live next door to Hue (Hugh?) Hurst, who may be related to Sarah Ann Hurst, who married Timothy's brother Charles McGuire.)

I had seen death dates for Timothy and Elizabeth as early as 1904 and as late at 1910, but couldn't find any evidence to prove a date. Some public trees at Ancestry.com seemed to have definite dates that were reasonable, but again, no documentation. Today I found T. M. McGuire 1822 - 1904 and E.E. McGuire 1828 - 1906 on the Findagrave.com website in Seddon Cemetery, Pell City, St. Clair County, AL. The evidence to support these plots as their last resting place:

1. The initials T. M. and E. E. match Timothy M. and Elizabeth E. McGuire.

2. Timothy and Elizabeth lived most of their lives in St. Clair County.

3. According to various US Censuses, Timothy's birthdate ranges from January 1822 (1900 US Census) to 1825. Elizabeth's range from September 1828 to 1829. The dates on the headstone are: for T. M., 30 January 1822 - 17 April 1904; for E.E., September 3, 1829 - January 19, 1906. So the dates line up correctly.

4. According to St. Clair County Marriages 1818-1899 by Ruby Sisson at the Birmingham Public Library:

"MORRIS, R. K. (married) MCGUIRE, MARTHA (on) 13 November 1879. Funeral records: Martha J. 06 Oct 1858 - 12 April 1939, buried at Seddon Cemetery. Father: Tim; mother, Eliza Wilson."

An aside: There's a bit of a discrepancy here: Although we find Martha with Rufus Morris in Seddon, St. Clair County in 1900, they don't seem to be buried at Seddon Cemetery if one interprets the entry as Martha being buried in Seddon Cemetery, too. Rufus and Martha both died in Jefferson County in 1921 and 1939 respectively. Of course, the most likely explanation is that the listing at Findagrave.com is not complete. This bears more scrutiny at a later date.

There's enough evidence here anyway to show that Timothy died in 1904 and Elizabeth died in 1906.

Happy hunting!

Elizabeth, wife of Timothy McGuire, born 1822

About the wife of Timothy McGuire. Comments and corrections requested!

Facts we know fer shure from the US Censuses:

Elizabeth was born in AL or GA about 1828. She was a wife and domestic. The various censuses list her name as Elizabeth, Eliza, E.E., and Louisa. No other names are associated with her in documents I have seen. The 1900 US Census says she was born Sept. 1828, married 52 years, 9 pregnancies, 7 living, born AL, parents born NC, speaks, reads, writes English. The 1880 US Census says her parents were born in SC and GA. She does not show up after the 1900 US Census.

Assuming the 1900 Census is correct, she has been Timothy's wife for 52 years, putting their marriage about 1848. Since their first living son William H. was born in October 1849, this seems realistic. I have not seen a proven date for their wedding anywhere. Has anyone seen one?

In the 1850 US Census for AL Timothy and Elizabeth are living in Jefferson County. Presumably they married in Jefferson, Shelby, or St. Clair County, possibly even Bibb County. These are the counties where they lived throughout their documented lives. It's also likely that they lived in the vicinity prior to getting married, but not proven.

As to Elizabeth's maiden name, I have seen her identified as Elizabeth Danielle. Is that a maiden name or a middle name? There's no documentation attached to the tree. Another tree identifies her as Eliza born 3 September 1828, died 19 February 1906. There are no sources attached to this entry. Then there's Elizabeth or Eliza Ann Roberts, born September 1828 who married a Timothy McGuire on 31 May 1842 in Davie County, NC., and died in Walker County in June 1910. There is plenty of documentation on this tree. Then there is Elizabeth Wilson on another tree with no documentation.

I'm eliminating Elizabeth Danielle simply because there is no documention. EM's middle name could have been Danielle, but without proof it's less likely. We have already seen that Eliza is one of EM's nicknames, but again, no sources. Eliza/Elizabeth Ann Roberts DID marry a Timothy McGuire in NC in 1842, but they are recorded as living in Davie County, NC, in 1850 with three children, and we already know that our Timothy is living in Jefferson County, AL, with Elizabeth and William H. So that eliminates Eliza Ann Roberts.

The final candidate is one that I reported on back in 2007:

According to St. Clair County Marriages 1818-1899 complied by Rubye Sisson:

“MORRIS, R. K. (married) MCGUIRE, MARTHA (on) 13 November 1879. Funeral records: Martha J. 06 Oct 1858 - 12 April 1939, buried at Seddon Cemetery. Father: Tim; mother, Eliza Wilson.”

So as far as I can tell, the wife of Timothy M. McGuire of Jeff, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties is Eliza/Elizabeth Wilson. In addition, there is a Benjamin Wilson in the right places at the right times with a daughter of the correct age, suggesting that he may be her father.

As to having two different wives, the 1900 Census says that T & E have been married 52 years, suggesting that there has been only one wife with the name Elizabeth/Eliza Louisa Wilson.

About the death date for Elizabeth/Eliza, there's one date of June 3, 1910, in Walker County. No sources. While there may have been an E. McGuire who died in Walker County in 1910, the AL Death List doesn't list it, and as we have seen, T & E were generally in the Shelby/JeffCo/St. Clair area, making this scenario unlikely. There is another death date of Feb 19, 1906, which seems very plausible to me, but alas! no documentation. Nor any for a birth date of 3 September 1828, which is also plausible.

Does anyone have documentation or proof of Elizabeth's birth and death dates?????

I hope I haven't offended anyone by putting forth my theories and documentation on Timothy and Elizabeth McGuire. I welcome any proof that challenges the information I've presented so that I can correct my own records. Thanks.

This material was originally published in the McGuire forum at Ancestry.com and Genforum.com in May 2010. Copyright May 2010 by AL Roots.

Timothy McGuire, son of DM, born 1822

Part One

It's wonderful that many people have posted family trees for Timothy McGuire, born abt 1822 in AL, married to Elizabeth, lived in Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties, AL. The bad news is that there's confusion about him, his wife Elizabeth's and his parentage. There were SO MANY TImothy McGuires in AL! I am hoping to open up discussion and maybe clear up some of my own confusion. Comments and corrections welcome!

"Our" Timothy McGuire was a farmer born about 1822 in Alabama. He married Elizabeth, born abt 1828 in AL or GA, by October 1849, when the first of their children, William H., was born. Other children, all born AL, include (forgive the initials if incorrect): Sarah E., Margaret L, Isaac W., Martha J., Mary L., T. Uzebba (Zebba), Timothy W., George T., and Eliza D. We know these facts are true because they are pretty consistent throughout the censuses.


Our Timothy did not move to MO. The Timothy who moved to MO was the son of Timothy McGuire, Jr., and Mary Polly McGuire. He married Salina Miller and Lydia Shoemaker and died in MO. He was born abt 1821 in AL and died 19 September 1874. Our Timothy stayed in AL his whole life.

Here's where our Timothy is living in each census. We know this is the right Timothy because the names of the children are consistent:

In the 1850 US Census for AL, Timothy Mc Guire is 25, living in Jefferson County.

In the 1860 US Census for AL, Ann (listed as Ann, reads as Tim) McGuire is 28, living in Shelby County.

In the 1870 US Census for AL, T. McGuire is in Twp 17, Range 1 East, Cedar Grove P.O., Jefferson County.

In the 1880 US Census for AL, Tim McGuire is 58, a farmer, living in St. Clair County.

In the 1900 US Census for AL, T. M. McGuire lives with his wife Louisa, SIL and daughter Zebba Gallups in Harpersville, Shelby County, AL. 1900 is the last US Census in which he is recorded.

Part Two

There were many Timothy McGuires in AL. The Timothy McGuire discussed here was born 1822 - 1825 in AL. He married Elizabeth abt 1848/by October 1849. The US Censuses 1850 - 1900 prove that he lived in Jefferson/Shelby/St. Clair Counties all his life. Who were his parents?

My candidates for his father is Davidson McGuire. And there's lots of proof.

First of all, in 1830, DM has one male aged 5 - 10 in the 1830 US Census for AL, Shelby County (TM would have been 5 - 8). In the 1840 US Census for AL in Jefferson County, there are three males 10 - 15 (Timothy would have been 15 - 18). In the 1850 US Census for AL, Timothy McGuire aged 25 is just a few doors away from Davidson McGuire in Jefferson County. As mentioned, TM's children are consistent from census to census. TM and his family never move more than a county away.

Next are the will/probate proofs. An excerpt from the partial settlement of Davidson McGuire's will of 1867 on file Jefferson County Courthouse:

"The liens and distributees of said Davidson McGuire deceased are as follows to wit: Timothy McGuire of full age and resides in St. Clair County of this State..."

Finally, in 1884 a McLaughlin brother-in-law wanted to buy shares of Davidson's land that were distributed to his (DM's) heirs. This action produced dozens of documents, among which are several affadavits affirming that Timothy McGuire of St. Clair County and over 21 years of age was a son of Davidson McGuire. These are on file at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

There ARE other Timothy McGuires born AL, even in Shelby County, but none but the guy above married to Elizabeth, living in Shelby/St. Clair/Jefferson County, with the same kids over and over. So it's more than a theory: the Timothy McGuire mentioned in these posts is without doubt the son of Davidson McGuire. He was most likely married to Elizabeth Wilson.

However, there is one mystery that remains unsolved. Timothy McGuire's birthdate is usually listed as Jan 1822. The Charles Kelley family bible says that Margaret Kelley married Davidson McGuire in DECEMBER 1822. So was Margaret Timothy's mother, as is usually assumed? Margaret, born 1808 by the same bible, would have been 14 at the time. A shotgun wedding? A quickie wedding to provide childcare? We may never know.

Part Three

One more reason to think that Timothy McGuire is the son of Davidson, and maybe the son of Margaret. Names in the McGuire family occur generation after generation. Timothy had a daughter named Margaret.

There. I'm done with these essays on Timothy McGuire.

For now.

This material was originally posted on the McGuire forums at Ancestry.com and Genforum.com. Copyright May 2010 by ALRoots.

The older children of Davidson McGuire and Margaret Kelley

The purpose of this large post (or mini-essay) is to identify the older children of Davidson McGuire and Margaret Kelley. All sources are listed. All theories are identified as such. Much credit to Kay King, Karen W., Barbara Strength, JessieJ., and James P. McGuire. They shared their research freely, and I have expanded upon it. Please credit me if you use the information provided here. Comments and corrections are very welcome!

To begin:

There is little disagreement about the younger children of Davidson McGuire because they are fairly well documented in the 1850 and 1860 US Censuses for AL. Only the ages vary a little from one census to the next. (As experienced researchers know, ages listed in the censuses can range +/- 10 years!)

The 1850 Census lists Mahaly, 18, Sarah A, 15, Alsy, 13, Emily, 10, Amanda, 8, and Martha, 6. Also listed are sons John, 17, Robert, 12, Hiram, 11, and William, 3. The 1860 Census lists Martha, 13, William 11, Thomas, 9, Robert F, 22, Hyrum (Hiram) K, 20, Emely 18, and Manda M., 16, Martha, 13, William H., 11, and Thomas, 9. So, according to these two censuses, the children and their approximate birth years are:

Mahala, 1832

John, 1833

Sarah, 1835

Alsy (sometimes Axy, or Alice) 1837

Robert, 1838

Hiram, 1839

Emily, 1840

Amanda, 1842

Martha, 1844

William, 1847

Thomas, 1851

More facts: Davidson married Margaret Kelley in December 1822 when he was about 20 and she was about 14 (Charles Kelley Bible). Timothy McGuire, probably Davidson's first son, was born between January 1822 and 1825 (various censuses, mostly 1900). Censuses from 1850 to 1900 provide this range of years as his birth year.

Some speculation here: it's possible that Davidson was married before Margaret, had Timothy, the first wife died in childbirth, and he married Margaret in order to take care of his motherless son. But there's no evidence of this. Margaret is usually credited as Timothy's mother. Certainly he named a daughter for her. Since many of the Jefferson County records were lost in the 1870 fire, we may never know. Nonetheless, Timothy McGuire is firmly established as a son of Davidson McGuire in my previous posts about him.

So now the list of Davidson and Margaret's known children are:

Timothy, 1822 - 1825

Mahala, 1832

John, 1833

Sarah, 1835

Alsy (sometimes Axy, or Alice) 1837

Robert, 1838

Hiram, 1839

Emily, 1840

Amanda, 1842

Martha, 1844

William, 1847

Thomas, 1851

To find more of the children in the 10-year gap between Timothy and Mahala, we turn to the partial settlement of Davidson's estate in 1867, on file at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham. (Obviously not all the records burned...) There we find two more daughter's names:

"The liens and distributees of said Davidson McGuire deceased are as follows to wit: Jane Pledger, wife of Pleasant Pledger and resides in this county; Mahala McLaughlin, wife of Alexander McLaughlin and resides in this county; Polly McLaughlin, wife of W. H. McLaughlin, and resides in this county..."

The new names are (Elizabeth) Jane, wife of Pleasant Pledger, and (Mary) Polly, wife of W.H. McLaughlin. From the 1850 and 1860 Censuses, we derive approximate birth years of about 1829 for Jane and between 1826 and 1829 for Mary Polly, also sometimes called Jane. Now the list of children looks like this:

Timothy, 1822 - 1825

(Elizabeth) Jane, 1829

Mary Polly Jane, 1826-1829

Mahala, 1832

John, 1833

Sarah, 1835

Alsy (sometimes Axy, or Alice) 1837

Robert, 1838

Hiram, 1839

Emily, 1840

Amanda, 1842

Martha, 1844

William, 1847

Thomas, 1851

Continuing, we look at the 1840 US Census for AL, where Davidson Mc(space) Guire lives in an unnamed township in Jefferson County. In the household are seven males and 6 females. Males: two under 5 (Hiram K., 1, and Robert, 2), one 5 to 10 (John L., 7), three 10 - 15 (Unknown, Unknown, and Timothy, 15 - 18), one 30-40 (Davidson, 38). Females: 2 under 5 (Alsy, 3, and Sarah, 5), three 5-10 (Mary Jane, 11 - 14, Elizabeth Jane, 11, and Mahala, 8), one 20-30 (Margaret Kelley, 32). Thus the list now looks like this:

Timothy, 1822 - 1825

Unknown Male #1, 1825 - 1830

Unknown Male #2, 1825 - 1830

(Elizabeth) Jane, 1829

Mary Polly Jane, 1826-1829

Mahala, 1832

John, 1833

Sarah, 1835

Alsy (sometimes Axy, or Alice) 1837

Robert, 1838

Hiram, 1839

Emily, 1840

Amanda, 1842

Martha, 1844

William, 1847

Thomas, 1851

More about the 1830 Census for AL in a bit.

To discover the identity of Unknown Male #1, we look at the 1884 court case in Jefferson County on file at the JeffCo Courthouse. Apparently when Davidson died in 1861, all his land went in miniscule shares to heirs acknowledged in the partial settlement of 1867 and then some. By 1884 a McLaughlin brother-in-law wants to buy up the shares, and in order to have no questions whatsoever about the title, he sends court papers to everyone who might even remotely be considered an heir of DM. There are also affadavits from citizens who know DM and his family. Remember, these court papers are sent to "heirs" known to be and acknowledged as DM relatives by people who actually knew the "heirs."

One such "heir" is James McGuire, named in an affadavit by George C. Jones, as being over 21 and living in Texas, post office unknown. James is also mentioned in an 1851 complaint in Shelby County against Moses and Alphoso Johnson for assault and battery. This is on file at the Shelby County Historical Society. I haven't yet found James anywhere else yet. So we'll just identify James as Unknown Male #1 with a birth year between 1825 and 1830.

The person who fits neatly into the slot for Unknown Male #2 is Charles McGuire. Charles is in St. Clair County in 1850, born about 1828, living with Simeon Pledger, brother to the Pleasant Pledger who married Jane McGuire. On Friday, Jan 20, 1854, in JEFFERSON County he married Sarah Ann Hurst (Two days later John McGuire was married in Jefferson County as well.). In 1860 Charles is living in St. Clair County with Sarah and his three children. In 1861 both John McGuire and Charles McGuire muster into Company C, 18th Alabama (Leeds: Her Story, Huntsville AL Public Library). After Charles dies at Chatanooga, TN, his widow Sarah and their three children are listed in the 1866 AL State Census just doors away from in-laws McGuire/McLaughlins, brother Edward Hurst, and so on. In the 1870 US Census for AL she is still in Jefferson County next to McGuire/McLaughlin in-laws. On top of everything else, Margaret Kelley's father's name is Charles. Since so many people in Davidson's family are named after ancestors and friends, it's reasonable to assume that Margaret would name a boy after her father. To sum up, while there is no smoking gun to prove definitively that Charles is Unknown Male #2, he's a pretty darned good candidate.

Some people would argue that because James, John and Charles are not named in the partial settlement of 1867, they cannot be sons of DM. However, one of my relatives explained that sometimes sons took their portions early or when they married, and would not be eligible for further shares of the estate. In 1860 John has money, as does Charles. It looks like they took their portions early. Thus, no mention in the settlement. This seems reasonable to me, and so I do not exclude these men as sons of DM soley because they are not mentioned in the settlement.

As final proof, in the 1830 US Census for AL, Davidson McQuire is listed in unknown townships in Shelby County. The family makeup is consistent with the family in 1840 and 1850, allowing for the children's coming of age, marrying, and moving out. In the household are 2 males under 5 (James, 0 - 5, and Charles, 2), 1 male 5 - 10 (Timothy, 5 - 8), and one male 20 - 30 (Davidson, about 28). There are also two females 0 - 5 (Mary Jane, fourish and Elizabeth, oneish) and 1 female 15 - 20 (probably an error--Margaret Kelley would have been 22).

After thoroughly -- and somewhat long-windedly -- going through the evidence, it seems clear to me that a reasonable list of the older children of Davidson McGuire and Margaret Kelley would include

Timothy, 1822 - 1825

James, 1825 - 1830

Charles, 1828

Elizabeth Jane, 1829

Mary Polly Jane, 1826-1829

added to the originals from the 1850 - 1860 Censuses

Mahala, 1832

John, 1833

Sarah, 1835

Alsy (sometimes Axy, or Alice) 1837

Robert, 1838

Hiram, 1839

Emily, 1840

Amanda, 1842

Martha, 1844

William, 1847

Thomas, 1851

WOW! 16 kids in 29 years. Davidson and Margaret were sure busy farming and popping out kids!

Thanks again to all the people whose research helped me piece together this final list. Comments, corrections, and additional data very welcome. Happy hunting!

(Note: this material was originally published May 2010 on both Genforum.com and Ancestry.com message boards. Copyright 2010 ALRoots)

Alabama Roots

I was 12 the first time I filled in a family tree chart. Now turned 42 more times than I care to reveal, I carry daily bite marks from the genealogy bug. Always a pleasure to scratch!

The purpose of this blog is to share the information collected on my Alabama family over the last 11 years. There's a lot of it. Positive comments, suggestions, and corrections are always welcome.

These are my rules of thumb: Facts are stated with sources. Speculation is labeled as such. I try to give credit to those people who have helped me along the way, and would like credit if my work is used elsewhere. I try not to publish information about living people unless I get permission. I won't publish any information about the parents of living people and only occasionally will publish information about grandparents.

The primary subjects are the family of Davidson McGuire & Margaret Kelley, I go up and down the trees, and sometimes collaterally. I have dreams of writing a novel someday about one of them.

Happy hunting to friends and soon-to-be-discovered kin!