Hello,
Its been a long time since I made a query about Nancy Towns.. By family
tradition she was a first cousin of the famous John C. Calhoun. My research
leads me to believe she may be a more distant cousin than that.
I am searching for any information on her parentage and siblings. She may be
related to the Henry Towns who married Lucretia Ann Calhoun. Since Henry and
Lucretia had no children, the connection might be through a brother to
Henry.
Nancy M. Towns(es) was born 16 April 1833 in South Carolina, d. 30 Dec. 1913,
Smith County, Texas, buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery. She married
America M. Fowler [b. GA (per census) d. 6 Oct. 1873, Smith County, Texas] ca
1852 probably in Alabama as that is where their children were born. Their
children were Mary, Paralee Lou, Embry, Sarah Lenora, Milton Elonzo,
Columbus, Viola, Kathryn Marilya, and Sam R. Several died in infancy or at
an early age.
In correspondence written by my husband's mother, Cammie Lenora Broyles
Caffey, to a first cousin, she says: "when my grandparents, Nancy Towns and
A. M. Fowler, came to Texas, Nancy's brother, known as Uncle Rady, and a
nephew, John, came with them. Uncle Rady had a store at Garden Valley"
(Smith County, Texas).
Rady never married so John the nephew is the son of either a brother or
sister of Nancy's. The assumption has been that Rady and John were both
named Towns(es) but that is not stated in the correspondence. A. L. (Abner)
Townes ran a hotel in Grand Saline and is related to the family, probably a
son of John. A. L. was the father of Ida and Lena Towns. These sisters
married Alexander brothers in the Smith or Wood County, Texas, area. This is
about all I know of the family.
Thanks for any help anyone can give.
Jynelle