What excitement to wake up this morning and see information posted on the
Caldwell list about my own very elusive family!
I want to preface this posting with the comment that I certainly wouldn't
want to make disparaging remarks about the research of anyone or hurt any
feelings or start any wars with info that I have to share.
I have talked with Wilma Ranger (Olympia, WA) and seen correspondence of
hers with various people from as far back as the 1970's. I know that she is
looking for the same James (or perhaps his name is William??) Caldwell who
was born in the late 1700's and married Elizabeth (Betsy) James about 1817
probably in York, SC. This Mr. Caldwell died sometime after October 28 1837
(where??) leaving 8 known children. Betsy Caldwell and the children were
living in (then) Gilmer County, GA at the time of his mysterious
disappearance.
While Wilma had a head start on most of us in looking for Mr Caldwell, it
appears that much of her information has since been disproved. Perhaps the
Internet has made the world a smaller place and given all of us access to
people and information that many would not have had in years past. We can
perhaps take her wonderful notes and move forward...
I am EXTREMELY interested in the family that has been posted about this
morning. They migrated from York and Cherokee Counties, SC to North Georgia
in the early 1830's with allied families: Sherod and Leodocia Sandlin
James, Horatio Sparburn and Gilly James Fulton, the Stroups, Reeds, Meeks,
and others.
Old Sherod and Granny Dicy are buried in Talking Rock, GA. Land that was
theirs became Betsy Caldwell's, and was in the hands of her two sons William
and Allison Caldwell until shortly after Betsy's death just prior to 1880.
Betsy's oldest son was John Caldwell, born in SC on July 16, 1818 -- there
is no real evidence to support the fact that he came to GA when the Betsy
brought the younger children in the mid 1830's -- he may have already been
married and remained on whatever the family property was in SC. I am always
looking for information on the marriage and descendants of this John.
Betsy's second and third sons, Sharud and Shelton Caldwell respectively,
migrated to Walker/Cullman County, AL with Horatio Sparburn Fulton's family
in the early 1840's. Sharud married his first cousin Rachel Fulton (perhaps
in AL) and started his family there. Sometime prior to the Civil War, the
Fultons and Caldwells moved to Arkansas. Shelton (not to be confused with
the son of Sharud Caldwell with the same name) Caldwell married Amanda
Paralie Hardage (and 2nd Sarah Ann Bracy). The descendants of these two
brothers are well documented in Arkansas!
Descendants of Betsy's son William Caldwell have not yet been located. He
married someone named Malvina and was last found (by me) in Pickens County
GA.
Descendants of Allison Caldwell settled in Texas around Hood and Erath
Counties. This is my line, but I actively pursue ALL of Allison's siblings
and their descendants. I have posted related tree information to a web site
for easy viewing. Note that I made a month long research trip following the
migration route of this family from SC through AL to AR, TX and OK this
spring. The results of my research has not yet been entered and posted, and
I am on my way back to AR for a Caldwell reunion this week. So, stay
tuned...
Sylvia Caldwell Rankin
sylvia(a)studiosr.com
Genealogy research site:
http://www.studiosr.com/research