Mary Josephine Smith

Family/Spouse: W.B. Hamilton. W.B. was born about 1888; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

As of the 1930 census, he was living as a boarder with Emma (Smith) Conner and her husband, William F. Conner in JP 1 of Sabine County.

Death Certificate, dated 28 May 1942. Physician attended John Perry from May 18 through May 28, 1942. Primary cause of death Automloxcater?? Informant Curtis B. Hamilton. Residence: Brookeland. (Source: Katherine D. Freistat).

John married Alice Sophrina Ferguson on 31 Oct 1887 in Sabine County, Texas. Alice (daughter of Gram Berry Ferguson and Mary Elizabeth Sophronie White) was born on 29 Mar 1871 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 24 Jan 1946 in Brookeland, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
According to Katherine D. Freistat, John Perry and Alice separated, however, Alice continued to use the signature Mrs. J.P. Smith for at least several years after their separation.

William married Mary Ellen Giddens. Mary was born on 14 Feb 1840 in Arkansas; died on 30 Sep 1932 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Shown as Ellen? on 1880 census? Or was the woman on the 1880 census a second wife?

Notes:

He and Green were twins.

Gram married Mary Elizabeth Sophronie White. Mary (daughter of James White and Drucilla C. Watkins) was born between 1848 and 1854 in Louisiana; died on 27 Aug 1921 in Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In her Rootsweb World Connect File entitled "Descendants of John and Mary Smith," Katherine Freistat shows that Mary White, the wife of Gram Berry Ferguson, is the daughter of James and Drucilla White. I believe that James and Drucilla are the most likely parents of Mary, but there are several discrepencies that should be resolved if possible.

1) The fact that Gram Ferguson's wife was a White is supported by this entry in "Sabine County Marriages 1875-1900 1900-1910 Prior to 1875" by Blanche Toole: White, Mary E to Green B Ferguson ca 1870

However, Green is Gram's twin, and it appears he actually married Lucy Bean in Orange County (source: Pam Mahon, family researcher)

2) A Mary E. S. White is listed on the 1850 Sabine County census as a two year old born in Louisiana in the household of James E. White and Drucilla C. (Watkins) White (#258-258), along with younger sisters Drucilla and Cordelia. However, the Mary Elizabeth Sophronia White shown as the wife of Gram Berry Ferguson by Katherine Freistat is shown as being born 6 years later, in 1854.

3) Another mystery is why she is not listed with her mother, Drucilla, and stepfather, John C. Partin, in the transcript of the 1860 Sabine County census by Helen Gomer Schluter. Her sisters Theodosia and Cordelia are listed. The actual microfilm should be reexamined. She would have been only 12/13 at the time, so it is doubtful she was already married. If she was not married, this means she had either died or was living with another family in 1860. Her grandparents, Edward and Elizabeth (Strickland) White were living in Sabine County in 1860, and an 11 year old girl, shown as L.E. White born in Texas, was living with them, according to the transcript of the 1860 census prepared by Mrs. Helen Gomer Schluter. Could this have actually been M.E. White? There is a discrepency in her birthplace, Texas vs. Louisiana. However, both she and her grandparents might have forgotten that she was born in Sabine Parish and not Sabine County. Additionally, L.E. White does not show up again. She may have either died or married after 1860, and may have indeed married Gram.

4) On a transcript of the 1870 Census of Sabine County (Blanche Toole), Household #25/25 lists:

Ferguson, G. 21 M W Farmer Texas
" , Mary E. 16 F W K.H. Texas

This would make Gram's wife born circa 1854, not circa 1848 as is shown by Katherine Freistat. I read the actual microfilm, and the ages on the transcript match those on the microfilm. It is possible that the census taker made a mistake when recording her age, or that Mary gave him incorrect information.

It could also be that Gram's wife is someone other thatn Mary White, the daughter of James White.

Notes:

Married:
Blanche Toole's SABINE COUNTY MARRIAGES shows a Green Ferguson to Mary E. White ca 1870. On Katherine D. Freistat's web site, she shows that Gram Ferguson married Mary Elizabeth White, daughter of Jarvis White and J. Massa in Orange County, Texas. Katherine further states that Gram died April 5, 1922 in Bronson, according to Pat. Pat also said that Mary died August, 1920 in Bronson.

John married Constance Harris before 1835. Constance was born about 1815 in Louisiana; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine District
Enumerated 13 and 15 Nov 1850
Pages Handwritten 29 and 30 Stamped 225
225-225
Drucilla Lowe 47 F Ga
William Furguson 23 M Farmer Tx
James Furguson 21 M Farmer Tx
Allonder Furguson 19 M La
Emily Lowe 16 F Tx
Malinda Lowe 14 F Tx
Jackson Lowe 1p M Tx
226-226
Roland Furguson 28 M Farmer La
Huldah Furguson 26 F Ark
James E Furguson 6 M Tx
Jeremiah A Furguson 5 M Tx
Nancy A Furguson 4 F Tx
Green B Furguson 1 M Tx
Granbury Furguson 1 M Tx

Roland married Mahuldah Latham. Mahuldah (daughter of Lewis Latham and Unknown Wife Of Lewis Latham) was born about 1822 in Illinois; died about 1880. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Presumably the trailblazer in the family. He was the only family member living in Sabine County in 1850. All the other family members migrated from Mississippi at a later date. His two oldest daughters were born in Louisiana circa 1848 and 1849, so he had not been in Texas long. His middle initial is sometimes shown as C and other times as E.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Sabine County
Enumerated 20 Nov 1850
Stamped 327
257-257
Morris, Amon P 25 M Farmer Miss
Morris, Mary A 21 F La
Morris, Mary C. F. 3 F La
Morris, Alfred W 1 m La
Watkins, Mary 45 F NC*
258-258
White, John C 24 M Farmer Miss
White, Drucilla C 21 F Tx
White, Mary E 2 F La
White, Theodotia 1 F La
White, Drucilla 1/12 F Tx
(Courtesy of Scott Watkins)

*Schluter and Toole, in their annotated transcription of the 1850 Sabine County, Texas census, show her as "dau of John and Mary Smith and widow of ---- Watkins." Scott Watkins points out that she is actually Mary Kemp Watkins, mother of Mary Morris and Drucilla White. A daughter of John and Mary Smith, namely Elizabeth, was married to Green Berry Watkins, thus causing the confusion.

James married Drucilla C. Watkins on 29 Oct 1846 in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. Drucilla (daughter of Alfred L. Watkins and Mary Drucilla Kemp) was born on 30 Jul 1829 in Ayish Bayou, Texas And Coahuila, Mexico; died after Jun 1860. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Joseph William Watkins was born in Georgia and died in Sabine County ca 1838. He and his wife Drucilla were the parents of Drucilla Watkins, b 30 July 1829, in Coahuila-Texas and d after 1860, m James E. White ca 1847. (White and Toole, p 67). However, Scott Watkins doesn't think this is correct. In December, 2010 he emailed that:

"Green Berry's younger brother Alfred L, only had two daughters and no sons. The oldest daughter was Mary Ann, who married Amon P. Morris and her younger sister Drucilla Cordelia who married 1) White and 2) Partin. Both Mary Ann(s) are used back in forth between the family lines as well as William W. and Nancy. I started out to prove I was a descendant of Alfred L., only to find out I belong with Green Berry instead."

The 1840 Natchitoches Parish census shows:
J. B. Watkins 0111001000000 222001000000 1 3 1
A. L. Watkins 0000010000000 002001000000
The J. is a G. (census writers?) Both brothers are on the same page, just 10 lines apart. J. B. has 4 males and 7 females. A. L. has 1 male and 3 females. Later census shows Alfred with the same numbers and Green Berry with another daughter.