William Morrison Fullen

Notes:

William enlisted in Co F, 11th Texas Regiment CSA under Col. Roberts and Cpt. Silbey on 17 February 1862. He was discharged on 3 August 1862, cause not stated. According to Robert Cecil McDaniel's book CITIZEN SOLDIERS OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS, he was wounded at war. His younger brother John served with him in the same unit.

Around 1868, William and John married sisters, Margaret and Jane Allen. Neither family can be located on the 1870 Sabine County census. It is possible they were simply missed in this first census in the aftermath of the Civil War. At the time of the 1880 census, William & Elizabeth and John & Jane lived in adjoining homes. Listed in William's home was 60 year old Celie Payne, a servant born in Georgia. Could she have been a former slave of Elizabeth Allen's step-Grandmother, Jane Payne Allen?

William's confederate pension application listed his occupation as Carpenter. On census records, he was reported as a farmer.

His younger children, Lena, Ginnie, and Washington Fullen are all shown on the Sabine County 1890 Scholastic census. The very youngest, eight year old Britton, remained at home.

In 1900, sons William and Lawrence lived on either side of their parent's home. Washington and Britton were still at home. According to the 1910 census, William and Margaret had been married for 42 years, and had a total of 6 children, 5 of whom were still living.

On some census records, his middle initial was shown as "R." However, according to his tombstone, his middle name was Morrison.

In 1924 he served as a witness to the confederate pension application for Susannah Halbert Mason, along with witnesse W W Halbert. Both signed with their marks.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1860 Census
Texas, Sabine County, Milam Beat, PO Milam
Enumerated 12 Jun 1860
Page 2, Stamped 318
7-7
Solomon Cawsey 44 M Farmer 1000 2625 Miss
Harriet L. Cawsey 34 F $--- $1320 La
William M. Fullen 16 M Tx
John W. Fullen 12 M Tx
William E Cawsey 12 M Tx
Sebern J. Cawsey 2 M Tx
Geo W Cawsey 1/12 M Tx

1870
Not located

1880 Census
Texas, Sabine County
Enumerated 24 Jun 1880
Page 12D SD 1 ED 85
114-115
Fullen, William W M 34 Farmer Tex Pa Pa
Fullen, Elizabeth W F 31 W Keeping House Tx Miss Miss
Fullen, William A W M 9 Son Tx
Fullen, Lawrence W M 7 Son Tx
Fullen, Lena W F 5 Dtr Tx
Fullen, Jenn??? A W F 10/12 Aug Dtr Tx
Payne, Celie V F 61 Servant House Servant Ga Ga Ga

William married Margaret Elizabeth Allen about 1868 in Sabine County, Texas. Margaret (daughter of John Wooldridge Allen and Caroline C. McGrew) was born on 15 Oct 1847 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 19 Nov 1916; was buried in Gravel Hill Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. William Ashley Fullen was born on 22 Jun 1871 in Milam, Sabine County, Texas; died on 16 Oct 1943 in Newton County, Texas; was buried in Gravel Hill Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
2. Lawrence Allen "Lon" Fullen was born on 9 Aug 1874 in Texas; died on 14 Jan 1959 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Fairmount Cemetery, Yellowpine, Sabine County, Texas.
3. Lena Fullen was born on 3 Apr 1877 in Texas; died on 28 Jun 1914 in Texas; was buried in Gravel Hill Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
4. Jennivive Fullen was born in Aug 1879 in Texas; and died.
5. Washington W. "Wash" Fullen was born on 7 Jan 1882 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 31 Mar 1934 in Jasper, Jasper County, Texas; was buried in Gravel Hill Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas.
6. Britton Fullen was born about 1882; died before 1910.

Notes:

Little is known about James C. Fullen, even his exact name is uncertain. W. F. Fullen, a grandson, reported that both his father AND his grandfather were named JOHN W. FULLEN. He reported this in 1933 however, some 80 years after his grandfather's death, when he was completing his father's death certificate. The name John is inconsistent with several published histories of Sabine County, all of which list the progenitor of the Fullen family of Sabine County as James W. Fullen. No sources are cited.

In Gifford White's book, FIRST SETTLERS OF SABINE COUNTY, TEXAS, there is a James C. Fuller (sic) listed as receiving 320 acres of land on 4 Mar 1844. The Texas archives show that this land grant was actually made to a James C. Fullen. Due to both the time frame and the relative rarity of the last name Fullen, it is assumed that James C. was the husband of Rebecca, and father of William and John.

CHEROKEE County Texas

Survey - Person or Concern bearing the land certificate at time survey filed. Block - Block number. Grantee - Person or Concern to whom the land was actually awarded. Leag - League Flag. L = 4,428 acres, B = League + Labor. Labor = 177 acres. Section - Section Number Abs - Number of the Abstract on file at county courthouse and at the
Texas General land Office in Austin.

Survey Blk Grantee Leag Section Abs
JAMES C FULLEN J. FULLEN 724 281


What is known is that Mr. Fullen and his 18 year old wife, Rebecca, moved to the Republic of Texas sometime before the birth of their son William around 1844. They had two more sons over the next three years, and he probably died sometime around or after 1848, when his youngest son was born. He is listed on neither the 1850 Sabine County census, nor is his death reported on the 1850 Mortality Schedule. In the Family Bible owned by Catherine Parker Fullen, thought to be a daughter in law, the following entry is found under Burials: Daddy Fullen 1850.

Even his birthdate is unknown. Presumably he would have been the same age, or older, than his wife Rebecca, who was born circa 1826. The 1850 census indicates that both Rebecca and her husband were born in Pennsylvania. As Rebecca was the only adult in the household, she probably reported this information herself. It appears that their families must have migrated to the South when they were young however. W. F. Fullen did not recall his grandparent's Pennsylvania orgins, but rather reported his grandparents born in North Carolina and Tennessee. On the 1870 census, their oldest son William reported that both his parents were both born in Pennsylvania, while his younger brother John reported them both born in Alabama. In 1900, John reported their place of birth as Tennessee.

There are other families from Pennsylvania on the 1850 Sabine County, Texas census, but none seemed to live nearby the young widow, who was in household number 81. Rebecca's closest neighbors were the Jackson and Davidson families from North Carolina and Tennessee, the Oliphant's from Mississippi, and the Smith's from Virginia. Families with Pennsylvania origins were headed by 70 year old David Welch, household #138; 70 year old George Koher, household #180; 94 year old Henry Stagner, household #191; and 90 year old Michael Widner, household #192. There were a scattering of other families from Pennsylvania as well, but none have obvious links to the Fullen's.

(Research):
Items for later follow up

1810 Census
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Chestnut Ward
HOH James Fullen
Free White Males under 10: one
Free White Males 26-44: one
Free White Females under 10: two
Free White Females 16-25: 1
Number of HH members under 16: 3
Number of HH members over 25: 1
Number of HH members: 5

Also, the 1850 US Census Mortality schedule shows a James Fullen, age 43, and whose occupation was Cooper, as dying of dyspepsia in Westmoreland County, PA in 1850

James married Rebecca Bal(L)\(Dwin) before 1844. Rebecca was born about 1826 in Pennsylvania; died after 1850 in Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A mother at age 18, and widowed with three young sons at the age of 24. She appears to have remarried Solomon Causey sometime after the 1850 census. It appears that she died prior to 1860, as only her sons, William and John were living in Solomon's home at the time of the 1860 census, along with Solomon's new wife Harriett.

A listing in the Family Bible of Catherine Parker Fullen, under burials, shows:

Becky Fullen 1852

Her grandson, W.F. Fullen, reported her maiden name as Baldwin. Some published histories of Sabine County show her instead as Rebecca Ball. No other Ball or Baldwin families are listed on the 1850 or 1860 Census for Sabine County. The census shows Rebecca as being born in Pennsylvania. Her grandson William reported that she was instead born in North Carolina.