Sharla,
We have a winner!
I show Jesse and Lettie on the 1860 census of Magnolia, Anderson Co. TX
with 6 children. Next-door to him was his brother William J. (some family
researchers say his middle name was Jackson, others say John; I've not
seen any actual name, only the initial).
They had a daughter Sarah born ca 1862. Then Jesse died 1862-1870
(in the Civil War, maybe?), and Lettie appears on the 1870 Palestine,
Anderson Co. TX census as a widow with 6 children. Also living with them
were William EVANS age 21 b. TX and Mary E. EVANS age 24 b. TX. Were
they relatives of Jesse or Lettie? Jesse's brother William was also still in
Anderson Co. TX that year, but I don't have his census record. Do you?
Do you know when and where Jesse died? Where did you find his middle
name? I didn't have that.
Was Lettie related to Sabrina Jane COKER, wife of Beverly Turpin CALLAWAY?
They supposedly married in Shelby Co. AL in 1839. He died in 1841 and
Sabrina remarried to Allen GENTRY in Shelby Co. AL in 1844. In 1850 Sabrina
and Allen were living very near Jesse CALLAWAY and his brothers and father in
Choctaw Co. MS. I have been told that Beverly Turpin CALLAWAY was from a
different branch and that it is probably a coincidence that they lived near
each other in MS, but I'm not totally convinced of that and want to explore
it further. Jesse did have a
brother (actually a half-brother, probably) who was about the same age as this
Beverly Turpin. So...
By the way, Jesse was born in GA not AL. His father William appears on the
1830 Newton Co. GA census. I believe he was the William CALLAWAY who
was on the 1820 Warren Co. TN census. In 1840 William was in Benton Co.
AL (which became Calhoun Co.)
I have not found a "smoking gun" sort of document that actually names
William's children. All my theories are based on census records, some
cemetery records, migration patterns, naming patterns, etc. It would be
wonderful if you had some sort of actual documentation that links Jesse
to William. Do you?
I will send William CALLAWAY's info in a separate message. I've found
a lot of info since posting my 1999 message so it would be good to
summarize. Sherrill Williams, the Callaway Family Association's genealogist,
has been a terrific help.
I'm also copying my reply to Genforum and the family mailing lists in case
we have any other "cousins" lurking out there.
I'll keep in touch.
Vickie Elam White